


A Queen's Duty

by Sage_Nikolai_27



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, Broken Bones, Canon Dialogue, Fanart, Gen, Injury, early modern medicine, house collapse, underweight character, wound treatment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:09:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 39,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26087725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sage_Nikolai_27/pseuds/Sage_Nikolai_27
Summary: During the snowstorm, instead of watching Varian getting tossed out of the castle, Rapunzel stands up for him and goes to Old Corona with him.A retelling of the events of "Queen for a Day"Updates Mondays, 1PM EST
Comments: 49
Kudos: 141





	1. A Decision is changed

“The worst of the storm has yet to come,” Cassandra says, translating Owl’s message.

“Unless we do something, Rapunzel, the whole island will be buried,” Nigel begins, “Our only hope is to call a state of emergency, evacuate to the shelters on the mainland and pray this storm blows over!” 

“We’ll never be able to get everyone to safety in time,” Rapunzel answers, “That can’t be the only way.” She walks away, hands at her temples. “What about Xavier?”

“Your Highness!” Nigel exclaims, “With all due respect, lives are at stake here! We can’t go chasing after fairy tales in our darkest hour!”

“Princess Rapunzel!” Varian shouts from the hallway, entering the room.

“Sorry, Princess, he ran right past,” Pete explains, and the Captain grabs Varian so he can’t approach her.

“Wait, it’s okay,” Rapunzel says. The Captain releases Varian at her words.

“Rapunzel!” Varian pants, “My dad’s in danger! Y-You’re the only one that can help! Please! You have to come to Old Corona with me now.”

Rapunzel studies him and looks up at the gathered crowd before her. She takes Varian into the hallway so they can speak privately.

“Varian, what’s wrong?” she asks.

Varian takes a deep breath. “Please, please, the rocks, they-they’re encasing my dad.”

“Encasing?” Rapunzel repeats, shocked. “What are you saying?”

“Come, come see for yourself! You can help! I know you can; you have a connection to these rocks!” Varian says as he runs a few paces down the hall.

“Varian,” Rapunzel says slowly, “It’s a state of emergency here. I’m sorry, I-I can’t help you, not right now.”

Varian turns around to look at her and runs back over. “No, n-no, no no no no!” he stutters out, “Listen to me! My dad doesn’t have much time! You are the only one who can help! Rapunzel, Please!” He implores, clasping his hands together in front of him.

Nigel walks over. “Your majesty, please, whatever the boy’s problem, it must be set aside! The storm is growing stronger by the second! We need you to make a decision!” Varian still stares up at Rapunzel, shaking his head before rushing out to Rapunzel, gripping her arms and shaking her.

“No! No, no!” Varian pleads, “Please! Please, Princess!” As Varian begs, Nigel wordlessly summons guards over. “You promised you’d help me! You promised!” The guards grab Varian and drag him down the hall. “Rapunzel! You promised!”

* * *

“Wait! Don’t hurt him! Stop!” Rapunzel calls out, “Put him down, just let me think for a second.” The guards stop at her order but keep Varian in their grip. Rapunzel brushes her stray hair from her face. “Okay. Nigel, you want me to make a decision? Evacuate the island. You and the Captain are in charge. I’m going to help Varian.”

“Your Highness! You cannot abandon your kingdom! Your people need you!” Nigel exclaims.

“Old Corona is part of my kingdom, is it not?” Rapunzel yells in a rare burst of frustration. Nigel takes a step back, stunned. She takes a deep breath. “Look, Nigel. Varian’s from Old Corona. If he is here alone, then that means Old Corona is without Quirin right now. I’ve been following your lead when it came to the citizen complaints; I went with your every suggestion. I know you know exactly what to do to help the people of Corona. The Captain can help you plan an evacuation route and keep order. I am not abandoning the Capital because I know I am entrusting it to reliable hands.”

Nigel stared at her, “Princess, thank you for instilling so much of your trust in me, but are you sure you want to help some ruffian who just assaulted you?”

“Ruffian? Assaulted me?” Rapunzel repeats, shocked, “You mean when he shook me? Nigel, he’s in a panic. Yes, it was a little rough, but he didn’t hurt me. He’s my friend and the acting representative of Old Corona, and he is asking for help. Who would I be if I rejected a subject’s desperate plea? My father told me to listen to my heart, and my heart wants me to help Varian.”

“I… Your Highness, alright.” Nigel bows awkwardly, resigning himself. “You heard the Princess! Evacuate the island.” Stan and Pete drop Varian and rush out. Varian walks over to Rapunzel, wrapping himself around her. 

“Thank you, Nigel. I promise we’ll come back safe and sound,” Rapunzel says, sighing in relief, petting Varian’s hair. 

“I want you in the shelters by dawn tomorrow, princess, alright? The people are worried enough as it is with the King and Queen being gone during all of this.”

“Okay, Nigel, I promise we’ll be there as soon as we can,” Cassandra said from Rapunzel’s side.

“Hmm, yes,” Nigel said at her before walking towards the citizens who sat around the fire, ushering them to their feet. 

“Pascal! We’re leaving, buddy!” Rapunzel called into the room. The chameleon squeaked and ran over to her, crawling up to sit on her shoulder.

“Cassandra,” The Captain said, walking up to her. He handed her a packed bag. “Please be careful out there.” He wrapped his arm around her. Cass leaned onto his shoulder.

“I will, Dad, don’t worry. I won't let anything happen to Rapunzel. We’ll all come back safe.”

* * *

The town is abuzz with motion; Guards were calling for evacuation in the blowing winds and knocking on doors, townsfolk gathering up their things while adjusting hats and jackets. Names were called into the wind, followed by commands of “Hurry!” and “Wait up!” and “Coming!” as people ran through the streets and towards the ports.

“All the bustling makes me think we should’ve packed some stuff, too. At least an extra scarf or something,” Rapunzel said with a laugh, breath billowing in the air.

“Don’t worry. My dad packed us some provisions and climbing gear and a medical kit,” Cass said, patting her compact utility belt. “We’re going out into a storm, so the Captain made sure we had something on us.”

“Good, okay, so let’s keep moving.” Varian let out a trembling cough. Cass studied him, watching how his legs wobbled. 

“I think you need to rest for a minute. You look like you might pass out.”

“Xavier’s workshop is just down the road. I don’t think he’ll mind if we sit and rest next to the forge for a moment,” Rapunzel offered.

“No, we need to keep moving, princess. My dad didn’t have much time when I left. We need to get back.”

“We’ll get there faster if we all have the energy to take that hike. Carrying your wiped out body through the snow will also slow us down,” Cass said, guiding him over to the blacksmithy.

“Princess, what can I do for you?” Xavier greeted, welcoming them over to the fire.

“Just a spot out of the wind to rest for a moment,” Rapunzel told him. Cass helped Varian over to the fire, who leaned against the warm brick with a sigh.

Xavier let out a chuckle. “My, this must be Varian, then? I heard you were going to assist him in Old Corona. Is this the same Varian who the gossip spouted a wizard this past summer?”

“You people thought I was a wizard?” Varian groaned, a laugh in his chest, “Is alchemy really that far-fetched?”

“To be fair, the rumors began because you kept blowing stuff up. We believe in magic here, a dangerous wizard causing explosions isn’t that weird for us,” Cass interjected.

“Alchemy? Interesting…. Not every day you hear that word around these parts.” Xavier began before walking over to the forge, a kettle of water steaming. He poured them all some tea before scooping snow into the pot and putting it back over the fire. Xavier took to going through his items again, packing for the evacuation.

Rapunzel took a deep breath. “So, about the legend surrounding the snowstorm.”

“Raps,” Cass said, looking over at her, gesturing at Varian, “We kinda already have enough to do without chasing after a myth.”

“I know, but what if it’s our only chance?”

“Princess, I never said the Demanitus Device was real for sure.” Xavier looked up from his shelves. Varian opened his eyes, bright and curious.

“I know, Xavier, but every legend is born of truth, right? What if Zhan Tiri’s curse is real, and the storm will not let up until Corona is destroyed? Even an evacuation won’t help then! That machine might be our only hope.”

Xavier looked at the ground, humming as he thought.

“Please,” Rapunzel begged, “If the legend is true, where would the Demanitus Device be?”

“Probably under Mount Aries, if I could hazard a guess,” Varian cut in. “The mountain is nearly hallowed out from mining efforts and the Herz Der Sonne tunnels crossing through it, but, if you’re to believe some of these stories, it might be there.” Varian let out a snort. “But you don’t really believe that there’s some magical weather-controlling device out there, do you?”

The three of them stared at Varian. Xavier let out a hearty laugh.

“What?” he asked, incredulous, “I don’t believe all that magic stuff, but Demanitus is the most famous inventor to come out of Corona. You think I wouldn’t also read what legends were written about him?”

“No, lad, you mistake me. I was just about to suggest the same spot, and it’s good to meet another who’s enthusiastic about myths and inventors. Legend says that the portal leading to the device is behind an intricate door designed to look like the bricked walls of the rest of the Herz Der Sonne tunnels. The only indication you are at the right alcove is if you see Demanitus’s signature engraved in the stonework.”

“Yeah!” Varian smiles wide. “And in one of the--”

“This is all riveting, boys, but don’t we have somewhere to be, Varian?” Cass interrupts.

“Oh? OH! Right, yes, well, we really must be going then!” Varian startles, jumping off the workbench. “It was nice to meet you, Xavier!” he shouts as he grabs Cass by the arm and tugs her to the entrance.

“Xavier, if it comes down to it...” Rapunzel begins, rubbing her hands together.

“Princess, I’m sure that if you have that lad with you, you could find anything down in those tunnels.” Xavier laughed before handing her a rolled up piece of parchment. “Now, be off! Safe travels, Princess.”

Rapunzel looked at the scroll then up at Xavier. “Xavier, thank you. Stay safe.”

* * *

Once across the bridge, the snow and wind felt even worse against their bare faces.

“You ran to us in this?” Cass asked him, trying to block the wind with her arm.

“Yeah, but it was a little calmer then. It’s starting to pick up.” Varian put his goggles over his eyes. “We should look for bridges if we can. The hills very quickly turn into steep river banks and ravines here. I was able to jump over a few of them, and luckily, the one ravine I did slide down held a river I was able to cross because of ice floats, but we should avoid that it if we can.”

They hiked up the first hill, and Rapunzel turned to look at her kingdom, a rare glimmer of uncertainty in her eyes. “I made the right decision, right?”

“You made the only decision. You evacuated the kingdom and left Corona in capable hands.”

Rapunzel shook her head. “No, I mean, should we have evacuated to the shelters too?”

“If you want to change your mind, you have to do it now, Raps. We need to keep moving in weather like this.”

Rapunzel let out a sigh and turned to face Cass and Varian. “Okay, let’s keep moving.”

They continued into the blizzard, climbing over the snow piles and natural hills and down the slopes. They were silent as they waded through the snow. The snow and wind were getting worse, and visibility was dropping, especially on the tops of the hills. Cass and Rapunzel stuck close to Varian, a hand on his shoulder whenever they could spare it. The glowing vials tied to Varian’s walking stick was the only source of color and light in the rapidly darkening sky and whipping snow.

“Careful, this is where the ravines begin to appear,” Varian said over the wind. 

“Where is the closest bridge?” Cass asked, trying to see anything in the distance.

“We might need to leap across,” he said, “It’s possible to make that jump, I did it when I was going towards the city.”

“Jump over what?” Rapunzel took a step past Varian and felt the ground shift and fall under her.

“That!” Varian said, grabbing her arm. “Look, we could slide down there, but it is steep, the other bank is slick with ice, and the bottom is a river. The bridge is five kilometers that way.” He gestured to the right of them. “But, there are the stepping stones right here in front of us.” He extended his staff to show them the first stone. “It’s a bit of a jump, but it’s possible. Watch!” Varian backed up a few paces, stuck his staff into his cloak, and took a running leap towards the first pillar. He just reached it with his stretched out arms and pulled himself up onto the first stone. He then jumped to the next one and waved his staff.

“Come on, if I can do it, you two certainly can!”

Rapunzel let out a whoop, needing no more encouragement to take the leap. She almost overshot the first pillar, flutter-footing over to the other platform. Varian hopped over two pillars, and Rapunzel steadied herself and jumped after him. 

“Come on, Cass!” Rapunzel called behind her.

Cass took the nearly blind leap towards the first pillar, making it almost to the second pillar with her jump, her calf smacking into the first pillar. “Agh! Oh, fu--,” Cass bit her lip, catching herself, “fowl clucking shrinking cauldrons!” 

“Cass!” Rapunzel called out, “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine, just smashed my leg against a rock.”

“Can you put your weight on your leg?” Rapunzel said, “The jumps are much smaller now.”

Cass stood uneasily on top of the pillar. “Yeah, I think I’m fine.”

Rapunzel helped Cass with the rest of the jumps, Varian watching from the slope on the other side. Cass stumbled on the last hurdle, and Varian reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her.

“There’s a place just a little ways from the ridge we can stop and rest if you need,” Varian said, letting his arm fall.

“No, no, I’m fine. We can look me over once we get to your house. We need to get moving. The cloud cover is making me nervous about daylight. Getting to the shelters by dawn is starting to become a daunting task.”

“It’s barely past mid-afternoon, Cass,” Rapunzel said, “But I agree, let’s try to get to Old Corona before it gets too dark. The snow is pretty, but I didn’t expect it to get so cold. Pascal is shaking against my neck.”

They tried to scale the ridge, finding the hill more powdery than firm snow. Varian tried to keep pace with Cass but found himself needing to move faster to not plummet down the slope, getting ahead of her as he scrambled for purchase. 

Rapunzel, though at the back of the pack, was only just below Cass and following the same path as Varian. She dislodged a rock from the slope and, without finding any new purchase, slid down the hill with a scream.

“Rapunzel!” Varian called out, whipping his head around to see her fall, clinging to a branch tangle to prevent sliding down, legs skidding in the powdery snow. He watched helplessly as she tried to stop, only slowing herself down enough not to go flying over the ledge, red fingers clinging to the lip. 

“Raps! I’m coming!” Cass controlled her slide down, getting about halfway down the slope before Rapunzel pulled herself up.

Shakily, Rapunzel crawled over to a more gentle slope, Cass right behind her. Varian continued the climb, reaching the top ridge and pulling himself up. He stood on top of the hill, staff back out, guiding the two women up the mountain to him.

“Where was the breakpoint?” Rapunzel asked, voice a little shaky.

“Up against the cliff over there. We just have to get over these fallen trees,” Varian said. He helped them over one of the tree trunks and guided Rapunzel to rocks to rest on. Cass sat against the wall and rubbed at her sore leg.

Varian wordlessly stood next to them, fiddling with his staff.

“Next time, we go to the bridge. I don’t care how much of a walk it is,” Cass said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, that’s probably safer,” Varian said, rubbing at his neck.

Rapunzel raised her head, eyes closed. “The wind is slowing a little. Do you think it’s calming down?”

“That, or this is the eye of the storm,” Cass said darkly.

“Well, let’s get out of the wind entirely, huh? There’s a cave not too far from here. It’s technically a little shorter than continuing out here, and we avoid having to look for two bridges. It’s a winding river,” he clarified. “Luckily, or maybe not in this weather, the water touches the bank, and the wide mouth leads to a great swimming spot in the summer. But right now, I think it’s best to avoid water in general.”

“Good plan,” Cass said, “Where’s this cave?”

“Right this way.” Varian offered his arm to Rapunzel, who accepted the offer. He pulled her to her feet, and they walked around the cliff face, following the slight indent in the snow Varian left when he ran towards Corona. 

“Huh, I guess the snow isn’t landing over here.” Cass looked up at the cliff walls around them. “Guess these are helping stop some of the snowfall.”

Varian wordlessly leads them into the caves.

“Ooh, it’s even colder in here,” Rapunzel said with a shiver. “But look at the colors in here! Everything is so blue!” She rubbed her hand against the glassy surface of the translucent panel that revealed more stalactites and ice curtains. “Wow.”

Cass shook her head, a small smile on her face. “It is pretty in here.”

“I crossed through here earlier,” Varian said, walking through the room. “This is an ice wall. It’s see-through, which means it’s fragile. This and all the other ice curtains behind it is why it’s so blue in here.”

“Fascinating! I would love to paint something like this!” Rapunzel said, skipping after Varian, “Do these happen here a lot?”

“During the winter, if the snow gets heavy and it gets cold enough. The conditions have to be right.” Varian shrugged, an awkward look on his face. “I don’t know, I figured, since it was here, you two would like to see it.”

“If it’s uncommon, then that’s more reason to share it!” Rapunzel said, hugging him. “Come on!” she said as she pushed away from him.

“Well, that sure perked her up,” Cass said, ruffling Varian’s hair as she passed.

Varian let out a tight laugh before he and Cass raced after Rapunzel.

They are spit out on the summit of a tall hill. Rapunzel is standing on the curve of the hill, peering into the distance.

“We’re about halfway there,” Varian said, walking over to some chunks of bark that fell from a collapsed tree. “What do you two think of sledding down the hill?”

Rapunzel grabbed a piece of bark and raised it above her head. She roared and ran towards the hill and slammed the bark down right as the slope curved down. She jumped on her board into a sitting position and flew down the rise, her happy whoop echoing into the wind.

Cass followed after her, getting on her belly and sliding after her. Varian stood on his bark as he raced after them, watching them maneuver their boards as they careened towards the trees. Varian lowered his position and leaned into the turns, making it farther into the trees than they did. He forced himself to stop, turning onto his side and skidding in the snow.

“Wow, you went far!” Rapunzel called after him, the two stomping in the snow after him.

“Impressive,” Cass said, punching him in the shoulder.

“Thanks, I’ve had practice on this hill before,” Varian said with a smile. “Okay, so we want to continue going through here. We are close to the path.” 

Varian led them through the trees until they found the vast, long space of the path. They trudged through the snow and underbrush until they came into a wide field. 

“Is this cropland? Way out here?” Cass asked.

“Wild wheat patch,” Varian said, “It’s great in an emergency, which is why we don’t mind it growing up here. We like to chew on the stalks in the summer.”

“Huh,” Cass said, “Why do you chew on it? Is it medicinal or full of moisture?”

Varian shrugged. “I dunno. We all do it. Just something you do, I guess.”

“Does it taste good?” Rapunzel asked.

“Sort of? The flavor is hard to explain. Kinda like if you mixed grass and grain together, but there’s something else to it.” Varian stared at the field. “Let’s hope this snowstorm didn’t kill everything. It’s getting close to harvest.”

They continued, going back into the trees for a short spell before Varian led them over a bridge that spanned a full, deep ravine. They went down a slight slope before going into an open field.

“Now, this is fallow land,” Varian explained, “We let the ground rest for a year before we use it again so that it can restore its nutrients. We’re close to one of the cow ranches, too.” He points at the house and large barn further out, a large fenced-in area around both buildings. “We’re getting into the outskirts now. The bridge over the main river will be right past this farm.”

They march on, Varian leading them somewhat close to the ridge. Cass and Rapunzel looked down into the layered riverbed, seeing the fallen tree and the broad river next to it, ice floes bobbing.

They cross a bridge and into a fruit orchard, the fruit suffering from frost rot. Varian clicked his tongue sadly before cutting through an open field, the town in sight.

“Welcome to Old Corona,” Varian said, standing in the middle of the main road. All around them were the black rocks, lifting houses into the air, breaking through homes, and destroying the common well and dirt roads. Varian swerved through the black spikes, Cass close behind him, Rapunzel taking the slightly wider path, hair glowing as she passed by the black rocks.

Varian’s house stood before them, and Varian led them through the lab door.


	2. A Decisions Repercussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain evacuates the capital city. Rapunzel, Cass, and Varian enter the lab.

The Captain of the guards stood at the end of the dock, the snow whipping around him and an anxious crowd right at the edge of his vision, slowly growing as more people were directed to them. He watched the sailors ready their boats for human transport. A guardsman ran towards him and then silently saluted. The Captain nodded at him and the guard ran off. _The west side is clear. All we are missing is confirmation from the south side._

Nigel stood next to him, pressing into his back for an edge of warmth, the only edition he made to his uniform was a hat and scarf.

“What, that uniform not made for this weather?” The Captain asked Nigel.

“No, it, in fact, is not,” Nigel grumbled behind him, “And I thought it best to not delay us so I could search for a warmer coat. We don’t know how much longer it’ll be safe to travel by sea.”

“That is commendable, but you are going to catch pneumonia if we don’t board soon.”

Nigel sighed heavily. “How much longer until we can board?”

“I understand you are cold, Nigel, but can’t you have some patience? The sailors will let us on when they are ready to house us.” The Captain looked out into the town.

“At this point, I’d settle being seated next to a batch of fish,” a woman beside them grumbled, “Are you sure this is faster than walking, Captain?” 

“It is much safer. The boats will dock close to the shelters, only a three-mile walk as opposed to the thirty-mile walk we’d have to otherwise take.”

“I suppose that is better,” the woman said, looking up at the boat. She turned to look at the Captain. “And are you sure the Princess will be alright? Old Corona is an hour carriage ride, and she’s walking through this. The gorges could easily sneak up on her with this flurry.”

The Captain put his hand on her shoulder. “The Princess will be fine. That young boy who came running to us hails from Old Corona and traveled through the storm to get here. He will be a fine guide, and my daughter is well-trained to protect them both from any danger they might face. The Princess herself has plenty of surprises up her sleeve yet, I'm sure.” The Captain laughed and the woman laughed along.

“I suppose that is true. She is quite passionate and agile, our princess.” She smiled at him. “Thank you.” She shuffled off to join the crowd which was beginning to line up to board the boat.

“See? Rapunzel should be here. Her presence would help soothe people’s nerves.” Nigel spoke up from behind him.

“That woman just needed some reassurance. Are you sure you don’t mean your own nerves, Nigel?” 

“I say, Michael, I only speak for the people and I know an anxious crowd when I see one!” Nigel gestured at the quiet, shifting crowd. They marched in place to fight the cold, but their eyes searched about. Lips quivered as teeth chattered, but their hands clutched too stiffly at their jackets, not seeking warmth but something to grip. The low whine of young children didn’t break the town's sudden vow of silence. Many stared up at the ship, and others looked in their direction, waiting.

“Of course they’re anxious, we’re making them leave their homes during a snowstorm. I don’t even think the King or Queen being here would completely soothe them. We haven’t had a storm like this in a long time.” The Captain turned to look at Nigel. “And I know we don’t see eye to eye on it, but Cass knows what she’s doing. I honestly think she’s better trained than most of my men, and she taught herself.” 

Nigel shook his head. “I should’ve fought her more, convinced her to take the boy to the shelters with us, something. I still don’t think those girls made the right decision. I don’t care who that boy was. It’s dangerous to go out in this storm, even to the shelters, and they planned to go all the way to Old Corona with him!” 

“Nigel, that boy was Quirin’s son. He is clearly left in the dark about certain goings-on but cares for his father’s well being. It’s not my call, but I do think we will all be better off if Quirin lives through this storm.” Captain looked toward the crowd, watching them file into the boat.

Nigel’s eyes go downcast. “You’re right. Quirin is indispensable. The coded language between him and the king told me that much, though I don’t know for what.”

“We’ll know soon enough, and I think I have a good idea over what,” the Captain said gruffly as he walked towards the ship’s gangway and stood at the bottom, staring off into the town. He saw a guard running their way, waving his arm, a small crowd of people following him. The Captain straightened his back and watched the group make their way down the port.

“Sorry, sir. We got delayed with fallen debris. We had to change course, and that involved some backtracking.” The guard said, waving his arm to his group.

“Is everyone accounted for?” The Captain asked him.

“Yes, I made sure, everyone from the Southside walked with me or was picked up earlier by another patrol. We knocked on every door we passed, just to be certain.”

“Good. Go get warm, soldier.”

The Captain ushered Nigel up the ramp and, once aboard, the Captain saluted a sailor, who ran around to tell the ship’s captain they could set sail. The Captain stood in a large cabin with the townspeople. Two of the crewmen handed out steaming cups to the crowd. Nigel was clutching one such mug, and the smell of chocolate wafted through the room.

“Alright, settle in. We won't be on the ship long, but we have a bit of a hike ahead of us, so warm up and rest while you can.” The Captain said.

“Captain, where is the Princess? Is the rumor true? Did she really go off to Old Corona in this storm?”

“Yes, Princess Rapunzel went to handle a disaster in Old Corona. But she went well-prepared, I made sure of it. I’d imagine, if all went well, she’d be over halfway to Old Corona by now.”

“And the King and Queen?” Another voice asked.

“We’ve received no word on the King and Queen, but I have faith they are as safe as they can be in this. Our fair Queen was an adventurer in her youth; she would know what to do in conditions like this.”

Some of the townsfolk settled down with that, some muttering that they completely forgot or didn’t know their Queen used to be irrepressible like the Princess. Others still seemed uneasy.

“What happened in Old Corona?” one voice spoke up.

The Captain searched for words. Nigel stood up straight beside him.

“It is nothing for you to worry about,” Nigel said, “We have been aware of a certain situation occurring in Old Corona for some time and it simply came to the point where the Princess thought it necessary to intervene. We were hoping to wait for the storm to clear, but when a messenger came, saying that the situation grew worse from the storm, the Princess wanted to attend to it immediately. I am dreadfully sorry that her decision has caused such an upset.”

The people shuffled, some conceding to that answer. “But, what is happening in Old Corona? A bad harvest?” A voice rose from the back.

“It’s a….” Nigel trailed off, looking to the Captain.

“It’s a civil matter, and certain parties wanted the matter kept secret, but for no ill reason. I am well-informed on the situation and it is nothing for everyone to worry over. Though, the snow could cause trouble for the crops.” The Captain looked off to the side, out one of the windows to watch the waves. 

“Old Corona has had a good year though. We might have a few weeks of preserves if this hurts the current crops, but we will not have a food shortage, so there is nothing to worry about in that respect.” Nigel added. “Now, let’s settle down for the ride, hm?”

The citizens began to settle in at that, a low murmur of conversation filling the room. The Captain sat down in front of one of the windows, watching the boat cut through the choppy waters. “Please be safe out there, Cassandra.”

* * *

“Dad! Dad! I’m back! Dad! I got the princess!” Varian yells as they run into Varian’s lab. Varian stops in shock. Rapunzel gasps at the sight before them, and Cass, jaw dropped, squeezes Rapunzel’s shoulder. All of them stood transfixed, staring at the solid tendrils of amber that had fully encased Quirin.

“We’re too late,” Cass says, breaking their mutual stun.

“Oh no,” Varian breathes, running over to Quirin. “No!” he repeats over and over, pounding his fist against the amber, breath fast and shallow. “Dad! Dad!” he chokes out, staring up at his dad’s face. He begins to sob, tears welling up in his eyes as he collapses to his knees. “No, no, no! No.” He cries openly, continuing to call for his dad.

Rapunzel places her hand on his back, and Varian wraps his arms around her, crying into her shoulder. “Varian, we’ll get him out, I promise. I’m sorry.” She strokes his quaking back. 

Pascal crawled to sit on Rapunzel’s other shoulder, chirping sadly. Cass sat next to them, placing a hand on Varian's arm to comfort him. They sat like that until Varian’s sobs began to slow down.

Cass looked up at the amber, taking in the scene. “He's holding parchment. Wait, I think he wrote a note for you, Varian.”

“Wait, wait, a note?” Varian says. He wipes at his face, slowly rises from Rapunzel’s arms, looking up at the amber. “I know how to read my dad’s handwriting. Can someone get me up higher?”

Cass kneeled in front of Varian. “Hop on my shoulders.” He planted both feet on her shoulders, hands on her head, Rapunzel bracing his back as Cass rose to her full height. Once Cass was steady on her feet, Rapunzel stood ready to catch Varian if he fell. He stared at the note, trying to make it out through the amber. His blue stripe seemed to glow in the golden shine off of the topaz-like spikes. Varian placed his hand right under his father’s wrist, trying to get himself closer to the note. 

They held the pose for a long moment, Varian squinting as he tried to read the crumpled note.

“Hey, Varian? How's it going up there? You might be incredibly light, but that doesn’t mean this position is easier to keep steady,” Cass asked.

“Sorry, Cassie, it’s tough to make much out, but you can put me down now,” Varian said with a sigh.

Cass slowly lowered herself so Varian could get off. He wobbled and fell into Rapunzel’s arms.

“You okay, Varian?” Rapunzel asked, looking at his face.

“Yeah, just trying to make sense of what I could make out. Do you know anything about the Dark Kingdom?”

“Dark Kingdom?” Rapunzel said, “Uh, not much, just that the population of that kingdom had to evacuate about twenty or so years ago. Also, some families in Corona used to be from there, but I don’t recall why.”

Varian hummed. “Know anything about a Moondew or what an ‘Adira’ is?” he asked.

“I’ve never heard of a Moondew, but maybe it’s a plant, like a flower?” Rapunzel supplied.

“Maybe your dad was from there? This Dark Kingdom?” Cass asked. “The names ‘Quirin’ and ‘Varian’ aren’t Coronan in origin and neither is ‘Adira.’ Maybe she’s an aunt of yours or something?”

“Maybe.” Varian sighed. “He also mentioned my mother, but I couldn’t make anything out. And,” Varian paused for a breath, “he wrote the word ‘proud’ too. That’s all I ever wanted to hear from him; that he was proud of me.”

“Varian, of course he was proud of you,” Rapunzel said.

“Yeah, you lack caution, sure, but you are brilliant and want to do good for your village. What father wouldn’t be proud?”

“Thanks, you two,” Varian said, “but I still want to hear him say it.”

“Maybe you still can,” Rapunzel said, “What should we try first?”

* * *

Varian let out a frustrated growl as he turned the drill off. “Why is nothing working? What haven’t we tried?”

“We’ve only been at this for a little while, I’m sure we can think of something,” Rapunzel said, braiding her hair back up. Her eyes held the dull shine of exhaustion. Pascal squeaked. “I know it’s getting a little late in the afternoon, buddy, but we still have time. The shelters are only a thirty-minute hike to the south from here.”

Cass walked around the room. “Yeah, and we might have better luck waiting it out here. It’s getting dark fast and the winds are picking up to a dangerous degree.” The ceiling creaked above them; the sound of flying debris hitting against the walls. “I for one think it would be better to move out in the pre-dawn light anyway. And who knows, maybe if the storm doesn’t blow past us in the middle of the night, the winds might be kinder in the morning.” Cass said, walking around the amber. “Hey, there is a piece of black rock still exposed over here. Maybe if…”

“No, if what you say is true and it blows up if Rapunzel touches it, we’re not trying that.” Varian waved his arms around in the air. “No, there has to be a way to melt the amber somehow.” Varian walked over to his workstation and started throwing together another mixture.

“Every alchemic mixture you’ve tried has done nothing.”

“Not the third one I tried.”

“Yeah, that one just made a spot blue.”

“Still a reaction, not nothing.” He let a small amount of the chemical spill on the amber, the spike smoking slightly and bubbling before a bubble sharply popped. Varian flinched away and when he looked back, there was no change to the amber. He groaned, frustrated.

“Maybe we need to get some moondew flowers,” Rapunzel said, staring into the amber, “Maybe that’s why he wrote that all down.” 

Pascal squeaked in agreement.

“But we don’t even know where to look for them, in this ‘Dark Kingdom’?” Varian sighed, dusting himself off. “Even if we could figure out where that place is, who says we could even get some of the flowers or if the Moondew even is a flower? How are we sure the Moondew is even connected to the Dark Kingdom?” 

“It’s either we get the Moondew or try to think up other options,” Cass said with a sigh.

“Maybe the Sundrop flower?” Varian asked.

Cass looked over at him. “If anything of the flower remains, it would be in the royal vault. Taking it would be treason, Varian.”

“It’s another option! And we know where to start looking!”

“Varian, no!” Cass glared at him.

The wind howled angrily, and the roof moaned, the walls leaned with a groan, punctuated by snapping sounds.

“Uh oh, that doesn’t sound good,” Cass said, staring at the ceiling.

“The storm is getting worse,” Varian said. A loud snap echoed from above. “And the lab’s roof also hasn’t been looked at in a while. I’m not sure if it’ll hold.”

Above, more deep snapping sounds and a deep groaning filled the room as the ceiling shifted above them.

“We might want to think fast about the next few minutes!” Rapunzel said as the roof lifted and bent above them, and a support beam cracked near them.

“I have a hatch into the tunnels in here, made it after the last water heater failure. This way!” Varian said, running towards the back wall and opening a hatch. 

Rapunzel slipped in first, climbing down the ladder quickly as Pascal squeaked in her hair, then Cass slid down the ladder, not even touching the rungs. Varian readied himself to go down the ladder when the roof caved in, dropping heaps of snow and ceiling tile into the room and on top of Varian. He screamed as the onslaught pushed him into the tunnels. 

Cass dragged Rapunzel deeper into the caves to avoid the wave of snow, stones, and wood, the floor cracking and collapsing into the tunnels. Black rocks shot out the snow pile in a violent manner, scattering loose powder into the air. The snow settled, and the two turned around and ran towards the heavy powder.

“Varian! Varian!” Rapunzel called out, digging through the snow to make a path towards the ladder. Cass pushed the snow against the walls of the tunnel to find the floor.

“Over there!” Cass said, seeing a gloved hand resting against the glittering rock. Rapunzel watched as Cass stomped her way through the wreckage and began digging near his arm, uncovering his shoulder. Varian is cradled between all the black rocks, making it easy for Cass to unbury his head and chest. He is unconscious, but some light shaking makes Varian blink his eyes open and cough heavily.

“Varian! Oh, I’m so glad to see you alive!” Rapunzel said, tears in her eyes.

“Let’s get you up,” Cass said, trying to get him to sit up.

Varian flinched, a startled, pained yelp leaving his throat. “My leg. It’s pinned. Oh, it hurts.”

Cass gently put him back down and examined the pile of snow over where his legs should be. “I think some rubble landed on your legs.” She stared at the rocks around him and looked back at Raps. “I’ll climb over the rocks, you stay over there.” 

Rapunzel nodded quietly, going over to Varian, as Cass carefully maneuvered over Varian and the rocks. She began to dig the snow off of Varian until she found the red-soaked snow, a chunk of the support beam, and large stones that used to be one of the walls. She dug around the beam and larger stones until they found Varian’s legs and the floor.

“Okay, Raps. I think it’s just the beam that’s on his leg. I’m going to lift the beam; you try pulling him out.” Cass dug her arms underneath the beam, and Rapunzel gently lifted Varian so she could hook her hands under Varian’s shoulders. 

“Ready,” Rapunzel said.

“On my count. One, two, three!” 

Cass struggled to lift the beam, but she managed to make it budge, and she yelled as she got her legs under her and lifted the beam just enough so they weren’t pressing on Varian’s legs. Rapunzel quickly tugged Varian out from underneath, Varian yelping in pain. Once Varian was far enough away, Cass dropped the beam with a heavy pant. Rapunzel laid his head in her lap, brushing his bangs out of his face. Varian’s body began to shake.

“I can already tell that that’s bad with how much blood is in the snow. We can treat the wound, but unless you have any painkillers, we need to do this without,” Cass said. 

“I had some bottles in the lab, but it's all either buried or broken.” Varian’s eyes were glassy and pupil-blown, and he spoke with a dazed slur.

 _He’s going into shock._ Cass thought as she studied him. “Okay. We need to elevate the wounds, so I need you to lift your legs; I’m going to get a stone so you can rest your legs on it.” She grabbed a chunk of wood out of the snow and put it near his lips. “Bite down on this, so you don’t shatter your teeth.”

Varian bit down on the wood and slowly lifted his legs, breath shallow, but steady.

Cass slowly shoved a stone under his ankles, pushing it slightly closer until she gave up. She stood, and Varian slowly lowered his legs onto the stone. Cass unwrapped and tugged off Varian’s boots, being gentle but quick. His left boot was torn and soaked with blood. The stick he was biting on cracked between his jaw as she took off his left boot.

She could see the deep bruising, swelling, and slight bend in his left calf and the large scrape that accompanied the break.

“Your left leg is broken,” Cass said, examining it. “We need to set it. We also need to stop the bleeding. I’m going to apply pressure to the slice and it will hurt. Raps,” she said, while digging in the pack her dad gave her. “Collect more wood, we need planks to set his leg with and more sticks for him to bite down on; also, find firewood if you can, we need to make hot water to clean the cut.”

“Okay,” Rapunzel said, gently putting Varian down on the floor. She took off her coat and piled it under Varian’s head and gave him a new stick to bite down on. She then climbed up the debris to search the lab floor for sticks. Cass pulled out a cloth from the pack and put it over the wound.

“Ready, Varian?” 

Varian nodded. She pressed down on the cut, and Varian tensed, breathing heavily. The blood quickly soaked the cloth and, with one hand still on Varian’s leg, pulled more cloth from the bag and applied more pressure, piling the fabric. “Breathe, Varian. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Make them deep and slow. Try to relax your muscles.”

Varian let out a breathless cry, staring at her with watery eyes.

“I know, but pressure makes the bleeding stop. Just endure.” She tried to ignore the sound of the wooden ladder cracking behind her, tried to ignore the black rocks that were starting to grow around them like a cocoon.

Rapunzel carried an armload of sticks and dropped them next to Varian. “Here are more sticks for you to bite.” Rapunzel began digging through the bag and pulled out a book of matches and a small teapot.

“Good job, Raps! Did you find any boards I could use as a splint?” Cass asked.

“Yeah, they are up there with the rest of the wood I found,” she said, before climbing back up to grab the boards. She brought Cass three longer boards. “These are a tiny bit long, but they should work.” Rapunzel placed the splinters of wood next to Cass, holding one up against Varian’s right leg. 

“If they are all that length, they will do fine.” Cass nodded. “Start heating some snow so we can have hot water. The bleeding is starting to slow down.”

“Right.” Rapunzel piled up the other wood she collected and flicked a match. She placed the lit match on the wood plank, and it began to smoke, spark, catch fire. She scooped snow into the pot and placed it in the growing flame. It is an agonizingly slow process, watching the snowmelt and waiting for the water to get warm. Once it was ready, Rapunzel walked the kettle over to Cass.

Cass lifted the cloth off Varian’s leg, and Rapunzel pulled some fabric from the pack and poured the hot water over it before rubbing soap into the cloth. She carried the drenched cloth to Varian’s cut before gently wiping at his leg, washing off the blood. Cass rubbed her hands in the snow, cleaning them off the best she could before she pulled out a large wad of cotton. She puts that over the cut, gently wrapping it in gauze to keep it in place. Rapunzel takes the shattered stick from Varian and cleans the splinters from Varian’s mouth. Cass shifts Varian’s leg on the stone and puts the planks next to his leg.

“Cassie,” Varian groaned as Rapunzel put another stick to his mouth.

“We need to set your broken bone, Varian. Bite down. This is going to hurt a lot.” Cass said, grabbing the gauze.

He bit down on the wood. Rapunzel offered him a hand.

Cass placed two boards against his leg and began to wrap the gauze, setting his bone. The wood in Varian’s mouth cracked and snapped as he bit down, a loud continuous groan leaving his throat. Sweat dotted his face and his arms trembled. Rapunzel’s face was a frozen silent scream as Varian squeezed her hand tight. The ground shook and rumbled around them as the Black rocks grew wildly around them. Cass set her jaw, focused on Varian. Cass sat back to look at her work, moving his other leg next to the newly set one to make sure the legs were the same length. Varian relaxed slightly, and Rapunzel sighed.

“You have quite the grip, Varian.” Rapunzel flailed her hand.

“Okay, good job, Varian. We’re done. Take a rest,” Cass said, wiping the sweat from his face. He blinked up at her numbly, huffed out a relieved and tired sigh, and let his head roll to the side. The stick pieces fell from his mouth as his jaw went slack. He was still having full-body tremors. 

“Cass, help me get him into my coat. Being on the cold floor can’t be good for him.”

“You’re right. I thought his shaking was from shock, but it could be from the cold.” 

Cass helped Varian into a sitting position and unhooked his cloak, and Rapunzel unfolded her coat and wrapped it around Varian’s shoulders. Rapunzel lowered Varian’s head into her lap, and Cass lifted Varian’s hips and straightened out the material before gently adjusting his legs and buttoning the coat. Varian nestled into Rapunzel’s lap, barely conscious.

Rapunzel wrapped Varian’s cloak around her shoulders with a shudder. 

“I think it's starting to get colder.”

“The sun must be setting,” Cass said. She went over to the fire and stoked the flames. Cass looked behind her and noticed that the ladder was destroyed by the black rock growth and the rocks grew so tall behind them, they nearly blocked out the entirety of the door. “Well, we’re not getting out the way we came in. Once we rest for a minute and get warmed up, let’s get deeper into the tunnels, see if we can find another exit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) The boy must be broken :) Emotional trauma isn’t enough :)  
> At least he has his friends with him.  
> I also named the Captain after his VA, MC Gainey! In case you are wondering why I have Nigel calling him Michael. Captain deserves a name.
> 
> I’ve had this image drawn for months, back when this baby was in its first draft! I drew this and all the other art for this fic back when I had to wear a brace for repetitive strain, so please be kind! (Don’t worry, I was careful when drawing, my wrist is fine now.) It’s strange seeing it now, I can see so many things off about them, but I still love them.


	3. Shades of Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The evacuees make it to the shelters, the Hair Gang (as I'm lovingly calling them) find something interesting in the tunnels.

The boat soon docks on the mainland shore. Tall pine trees towered over them, protecting them from the whipping winds and snow. The sailors work swiftly to secure the ship against the dock. The waters were beginning to get choppy and the storm winds were picking up. The Captain stood on the dock, watching the Coronans file off the ship. Some guards began to lead some of the citizens up the path, carrying luggage.

“We seem to have arrived just in time,” one sailor reported to the Captain. “High tide is going to come in soon and with all of the other conditions, I doubt it would’ve been safe to travel by ship.”

The Captain nods to him. “Good work with getting us here on time.”

The Captain leads another group up the snowy ramp with ease. He moves slowly, hearing people slipping and struggling behind him. He sees the people over the first ridge and leads them over a flatter stretch. The hill makes a wide curve, giving the valley a gentle slope down towards the wooded area the shelters were tucked inside.

“Keep pushing people!” The Captain shouted. He waves his arm and Nigel lets out a yelp as he slides down the hill.

“Nigel!” The Captain calls. Some guards slide down after Nigel, chasing the red-coated man. Some townsfolk follow behind the guards, sliding down the hill. 

The Captain stands stunned as he watches people slide down the incline, but their shouts of excitement make him huff out a laugh and gestures for everyone else to follow the group down the hill. “The shelters are behind those tall pines!”

He helps an older woman walk down the hill and guides a small group towards the trees. He pushes open the door and holds it open for his group. He stands outside, watching stragglers file down the hill with the sailors. Once he’s sure everyone is inside, the Captain walks in and bolts the door. 

“Report, is everyone accounted for?” He calls into the crowded room. His guards stand at attention and quickly do a headcount. 

“Everyone from the Eastside and Market Square is accounted for,” one guard reports.

“Northshore is all here,” says another.

“The Southside and Westside are safe,” says Pete.

“Except for Quirin and his son, all of Old Corona is present, Captain,” an old farmer said, standing up in the back. A woman stands behind him, holding a large pot in her hands.

“Old Corona is here too?” The Captain said, “Well, thank you for welcoming us, kind sir.”

“Of course. Some of our people have fallen ill, but we are all staying in the other building. We were keeping supplies in here and my wife and I were making soup for everyone. Feel free to use what you need in here.”

“Thank you, you are too kind,” The Captain says, helping the woman with the pot up a step. He sees them both out and some of the bakers and chefs move towards the cookware. A baker apprentice stokes the fire and places a kettle over the fire. Castle servants hand out blankets or carry wet boots and coats to the entryway. Soon, everyone is settling in and handing out bowls and cups of tea. 

A gentle buzz of conversation hums in the room as the smell of stew wafts in the air. The Captain settles down on a bench facing the door. Nigel runs about, checking everything from the small kitchen to the state of the walls and small windows, the state of the sitting area to the bunks in the back section. He walks over to the wall where everyone piled their trunks and bumps into a chef, causing stew to splash all over him. The room erupts in laughter as the chef apologizes to Nigel.

Nigel sighs harshly, eyeing the room with a severe glare. He sees the Captain and some of the guards laughing and points his finger towards a group of giggling maids. 

“I control most of your paychecks, you know!” He is loud, but his tone is playful and his lips curl into a rare smile. The maids sigh in relief and laugh harder at him, walking over to him to clean him up. They walk him over to a side room and one of the butlers carries in a change of clothes for Nigel. 

Nigel walked out of the room a few moments later, a chef handing him a new bowl of stew. He carefully walks over to the Captain and sits next to him.

“Well, everyone seems to be adjusting alright,” the Captain said.

“Yes, they seem to be in high spirits,” Nigel says. “I envy them, in a way. How carefree they all seem, as if this is a camping trip and not an emergency.”

The Captain laughed. “Well, I think I prefer this over them getting all worried over the storm and the King and Queen and Rapunzel. If they can keep themselves calm and happy, then everything will be fine.”

Nigel hums as he eats. “But what of the monarchs, Michael? And what of this storm?”

“Let’s hope that the Pub Thugs got to Frederic and Arianna in time and that Rapunzel and Cass are safe in Old Corona. It’s all we can do now. The storm will hopefully pass and any damage done, well, we can rebuild.”

“I suppose so,” Nigel says with a yawn. The two men grow quiet and Nigel rests his head on the Captain’s shoulder. A maid walks over and drapes a blanket over Nigel’s shoulders with a giggle and gives one to the Captain.

“Good night, Captain,” she whispers.

“Get some rest, dear. I think you’ve done enough for the night,” The Captain tells her. She curtsies and walks into the bunk room.

The Captain lets Nigel stay on his shoulder and keeps his eyes glued to the door. The wind roars outside.

_A storm to destroy Corona. In this instance, I hope Xavier is wrong._

* * *

Cass carried Varian in her arms and Rapunzel walked next to them, carrying Varian’s boots and holding a plank of wood they fashioned into a torch. Rapunzel had Cass’s pack slung over her back. Varian, still shaking slightly, had his head against Cass’s shoulder, arms wrapped loosely around her neck, half-awake in her arms.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say your hair stripe was glowing like Rapunzel’s hair does,” Cass said, looking at his hair.

Varian hummed in response, holding Cass slightly tighter. “Why’d it do that?”

“I don’t know. The Sundrop was the only magic flower I’ve known about, but, who knows, there could be other miracle plants out there." Cass smiled playfully, "Maybe you accidentally ate one and got its power.”

“Is that how it works,” Varian mumbled in a low droll.

“I’d shrug, but I think if I did that, I'd wind up dropping you.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Varian drunkenly smiled.

“Oh, really?”

“Would you two stop?” Rapunzel laughed uneasily, looking back at them. “Aren’t you the one that should be saying that we need to conserve our energy, Cass?”

“Your right, Raps, but seriously, is his hair glowing, or am I crazy?” Cass said, standing in the middle of the tunnel.

Rapunzel turned to look and hummed. “Maybe, it looks like it is.” She waved the torch slowly back and forth, studying how the shadows moved. “The glow doesn’t seem to be affected by the torchlight.”

Pascal chirped from her shoulder and pointed at Raps’ hair and made a few gestures.

“You’re right, Pascal. It does seem to glow like my hair, but why? If Varian was another Sundrop, somehow, why isn’t he blonde?” She brought her free hand up to her chin.

Pasqual made a small noise and then pointed at the blue streak in Varian’s hair and shrugged.

“He could be another," Rapunzel said, brows pinching together, "but why only a streak of blue on an otherwise dark brown head? If he were some blue Sundrop, why is his whole head not blue?” she gestured at his hair.

Pascal squeaked and shrugged at her. Rapunzel cocked her head, before looking at the tunnel walls and walking down the hall.

The image of a streak of gold in Rapunzel’s brown hair right after touching the rocks flashed through Cass’s mind. She stared at the blue streak in his hair. “Where did the blue streak in your hair come from anyway?” Cass asked, walking after Rapunzel.

“Born with it, according to my dad,” Varian said. “The portrait in his room shows me as a baby with the streak, so--”

“Wait, you have a family portrait?” Cass asked. “Oh, right,” she continued after a beat, shaking her head, “You are a vassal’s son. That also explains your education and alchemy supplies.”

Varian hummed against her shoulder.

“Hey, look ahead! The tunnel turns into cobblestone!” Rapunzel said, running ahead.

“Wow, I didn’t think we’d hit the Herz Der Sonne Tunnels,” Cass said, taking in the stonework.

“I thought I was clearing away a cave-in when I first struck the wall. I’ve been charting the tunnels since,” Varian said, shifting in Cass's arms, “My map is in my apron, somewhere.”

“Okay, let’s find a spot to sit for a minute so we can find it. Raps!” Cass called out to the Princess, who came sprinting back. She gently placed Varian against a wall, adjusted his leg, then sat down with a huff. Varian dug into the front pouch and pulled out a folded piece of parchment, handing it to Rapunzel. 

“You know, for someone so light, carrying you is a workout,” Cass said, rubbing at her one calf.

“Just because you can carry ninety-five pounds doesn’t mean you can carry it for long distances.” Varian shrugged, leaning against Cass's shoulder.

“Wait, you weigh ninety-five pounds?” Cass asked him, shocked.

“I said I’m a bit thin, but I’ll bulk up eventually,” Varian shrugged, “Dad says I’m a late bloomer.”

“Wow, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you found the original map of these tunnels." Rapunzel said, slapping the map, watching the two of them look up at her. "It’s very professionally done, almost like the one Xavier gave me."

“Thank you, Princess.” Varian blushed and rubbed at the back of his head.

“Wait, Xavier gave you a map of these tunnels?” Cass said, voice sharp, leaning forward. “When?”

“Right before we left, he handed it to me." Rapunzel shifted her weight and rubbed her arm. "I guess in case we found the spare minute to look for the Device?” Rapunzel said, smiling nervously.

“Are you serious? We need to find a way out of here, Rapunzel!" Cass waved her arms in front of her, incredulous. "We need to get Varian to a doctor and us to the shelters!” She gestured at Varian, jaw tight.

“I know, Cass, trust me," Rapunzel said, running her fingers against her ear, "but, I mean, we’re already down here and if the legend is true, this might be the only way to stop the storm.” She shrugged and gave another shy smile.

Cass shook her head with a groan. “I can’t believe…. Fine," Cass smacked her thighs and rolled her eyes, standing up, "you have the maps, you lead the way, but we need to be looking for a way out of here first, alright?” She pointed at Rapunzel, huffing out a breath.

“Thank you, Cass,” Rapunzel said, smiling at her friend nervously, spinning around quickly to lead them through the tunnel, “So if I’m reading this right, we have to turn down the third right up ahead.”

Cass shook her head as she got Varian back into her arms. “We will have a serious conversation about your weight later,” she said to Varian.

“Yes, ma’am,” Varian murmured.

* * *

“Okay, Raps, I think we should break again. It’s due time we ate something,” Cass huffed out, starting to breathe hard.

“You’re right,” Rapunzel said, trying to bite back her laugh, “Let’s break in this little alcove here.”

Rapunzel turned a corner and leaned against one of the walls. Cass gently put Varian down across from Rapunzel and sat with a thud next to him, leaning on his shoulder as she caught her breath. Rapunzel took off the pack and started taking out the food containers and a canteen. Cass took a swig of water and handed the bottle to Varian.

“Well, at least the food is decent, but I wish my dad packed more,” Cass said, looking into the tunnels.

“Cass, we didn’t know we’d be down in the tunnels; we all thought it would be a quick back and forth,” Rapunzel said, taking a grain bar from the box. 

“Still, my dad only packed enough for two meals between the three of us.” Cass handed a bar to Varian, before tearing open her own and biting into it.

“So our plans changed, all we can do now is to conserve what we do have,” Rapunzel said, taking the water from Varian. 

In silence, they finished the grain bars they started and saved the rest of them for later, capping the water closed after they all had another drink.

“If you two want to rest, I’ll take watch,” Rapunzel said, putting the pack against the back wall.

“Normally, I’d fight you, but I think I’m keeping Varian upright,” Cass said softly, Varian already asleep on her shoulder. “I think I need a minute or two anyway. Wake me in fifteen minutes,” Cass said with a yawn, leaning her cheek into Varian’s hair. 

Rapunzel stands from her spot on the back wall and sits at the pocket’s opening, sketching her two sleeping friends. After a few moments, Rapunzel closes her sketchbook and stretches with a groan. Varian slowly blinks awake and shifts, waking Cass. Cass shakes her head and yawns before standing slowly to stretch her back. 

“Okay, Raps, do you want to rest a minute or should we continue through the tunnels?”

“I think we’re ready to keep on, just let me grab the bag,” Rapunzel said. She picked up the bag and then stared at the back wall. “Hey, guys, look at this,” Rapunzel said, brushing her fingers against a pattern in the brick. The brick shifted slightly under her touch, “I think the brick is loose.”

Cass walked over and examined the brick. “It’s just some circles carved into the brick, and these tunnels are old, Raps. Some bricks are gonna come loose and graffiti on them doesn’t mean anything. Let’s keep moving, for all we know, it could be dawn, so we need to get out of here and back to the castle.”

“Oh, It’s only been… four hours?” Rapunzel shrugged. “No way it’s dawn. It’s probably closer to midnight.”

“Okay, I give. Can someone help me up?” Varian groaned from the floor. Cass and Rapunzel turned to see Varian laying on his stomach.

“Varian, you shouldn’t be trying to move on your own,” Cass moaned, helping him into a sitting position.

“Well, excuse me for having a bladder,” Varian muttered, glaring at her.

Cass stared at him, eyes wide. “Oh.”

“Just help me to the back wall? I can handle it from there,” Varian said, flashing his teeth at her.

“Yeah, okay. Cocky little...,” Cass gritted, helping him to his feet and helping him hop the few paces to the back wall. Varian ran his fingers against the spot of graffiti then pressed his hand against the patterned brick. The bricks shifted back into the wall, curling back into the cave mouth it hid. Varian yelped as Cass tightened her grip around his abdomen, trying to make sure he didn’t fall. Varian bit his lip, tensing. He found his balance and Cass relaxed around him. He looked into the cave.

“Woah,” Varian breathed, staring into the cave. “I knew it!”

“Knew it? Knew wha-- oh, you used me!” Cass said, holding him tight again.

“Eh, partially, I wanted to look at the graffiti, but then I saw what the symbol you two were talking about was. It was Demanitus’s signature. But, I do still need to, ya know, so could you please move your hand?” Varian looked over at her, face flushed and tight. She shifted her hand off his lower abdomen and to his hip.

“‘Graffiti on bricks means nothing,’ huh?” Rapunzel mocked Cassandra, walking over to them.

“Oh, laugh it up,” Cass said, helping Varian lean against another wall. “So we found a secret tunnel. I don’t see how this will get us out of here.”

“Oh, come on, Cass. Aren’t you just a little curious to see what’s down there?” Rapunzel pleaded.

“Come on, it could be interesting!” Varian said.

“Ugh, fine, but if Nigel gets on your case about your tardiness, don’t come crying to me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I dedicate myself to incorporating the shelter's side story into this just to get to splash soup on Nigel? Yes. Did I accidentally make myself ship the Captain and Nigel while working on this? Yes. Am I going to expose you to some sweet fluff of them? Damn Right.  
> And… Hair Gang finds the hidden passageway! Finally, right? Here is a cuddly drawing for the road. I’m no Rapunzel, but it’s still nice to see things drawn out *w*


	4. Where the Tunnels Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass, Rapunzel, and Varian go deeper into the tunnels and find what they are looking for

“Geez, I get it, you’re mad at me, but do you  _ have _ to carry me like this? I feel like a sack of flour,” Varian huffed from Cass’s shoulder, letting his limbs hang limp.

“Yes. Yes, I do,” Cass grumbled, shifting him a little.

They ventured down the uncovered tunnel, the torchlight showing them that they soon reached a cave mouth. The room was pitch black and Cass’s and Rapunzel’s footsteps echoed with each step. 

“Wow, I wonder what this space could be for,” Rapunzel said, walking into the room. She held the torch high as she stared up into the darkness that hid the ceiling. 

“Raps, stick close,” Cass called from behind, hanging back in the doorway, gently putting Varian on the floor. “Let’s see if there’s any way to light up the room.”

“Oh, good idea.” Rapunzel walked back over to Cass and Varian.

“The echoes in here travel; this room must be huge. Even if we find and light a few torches, I don't think we will get the full scale,” Cass said.

“Oh, yeah, with how the echoes bounce around in here, I’d say this room is roughly six stories tall, maybe twenty meters across?” Varian said. “Think like the Great Hall in the castle but multiply the size three or four times.”

“So, big,” Cass said. “This room is very big.”

Varian snorted as he rolled his eyes. “Sure, yeah.”

“Hey, what is this shelf thing for, and why is it wet?” Rapunzel asked from the wall beside them.

“‘Shelf thing?’” Cass said, walking over to Rapunzel.

“You mean a brazier?” Varian asked, squinting into the darkness.

Cass went over to Rapunzel and rubbed the substance between her fingers before smelling it. “Wait, I think this is oil. What if I…” Cass touched the torch to the oil, and it quickly caught ablaze, the fire spreading across the large circular room. The three of them stared up in awe at the giant pillar of machinery before them.

“Oh, by the gods, it’s real! This is the Demanitus Device!” Varian cheered, “I can’t believe this! How did I miss this? This is amazing!”

“So, this is the device that’s gonna blow the storm out to sea?” Cassandra asked, unconvinced.

“Not if we just stand here looking at it,” Rapunzel said, getting Varian into her arms and walking down the steps. “Let’s try to get this machine up and running!” she happily cheered.

Cass followed after Rapunzel down the stairs, Varian staring up in awe at the device, starting to babble in his surprise.

“This is incredible, oh, what I wouldn’t give to meet the man behind all of this. Alchemy, metalworking, and magic are all tied together to make a device that can influence the weather. Demanitus specially crafted each sphere to rotate in a specific manner, so the spikes on each one spin in sequence; no two are exactly alike because of it. Demanitus also supposedly trapped evil spirits loyal to Zhan Tiri into the tiles on the ceiling, but I’m not too sure how true that is.”

“At this point, I’m willing to believe anything in these cooky legends,” Cass said, “I mean, this thing actually exists. Why not also ceiling tiles that imprison evil spirits?”

“So, does seeing this make you a believer in magic then?” Rapunzel giggles.

Varian’s face dropped. “Oh, uh. Maybe, b-but, people have always called the unexplainable magical. All of the “magic” at work here could all still be science and Demanitus just used formulas that no one else knew or understood, and now that science is lost to time.”

“Right, right, and what was that part about evil spirit prison tiles again?” Cass asked, smiling at him, waving her fingers in the air.

Varian blushed, “Oh, don’t you start, too.”

“Aw, we’ll make a believer out of you yet,” Rapunzel giggled.

Rapunzel sat Varian down against the stairs’ base before walking across the bridge to a large turnstile at the device’s bottom. Cass walked over to help Rapunzel, and they soon got the turnstile to spin; the machine began to hum and rumble as it slowly turned on. The spheres began to turn and tumble, the attached moon crystals starting to glow and shoot green lightning against the tiles in the ceiling, the moon spheres helping the lightning bounce back and forth. Chipping rocks fell from the roof as the spinning made some things up above shift. The turnstile lifted into a small pocket above Cass and Rapunzel, and the two women backed up onto the bridge, watching the machine spin.

“I think it’s gonna work!” Rapunzel shouted over the sound of the old metal grinding. The room was quickly filled with a bright blue light as the magic bolts charged the weather manipulator high above them. Magic bolts flew around the ceiling as the Device continued to spin. 

“Princess! Cass!” Varian shouted from across the bridge, curled tightly into a ball against the wall, rocks lying close to his feet, “The ceiling is starting to really crumble now, we might want to go!”

“But what if the spell isn’t complete until the machine spins to a stop by itself? We need to stay!” Rapunzel shouted back.

Cass, staring at the ceiling, said, “Rapunzel, I hear you, but Varian’s right. The ceiling is full of cracks; soon enough, it won’t be just pebbles raining down on us. And maybe that blast of light was what we needed to do; maybe it’s done.”

“But it’s still spinning, that has to mean something. What if we leave and it jams, making the spell not work?”

“If we get hit in the head by a rock and the machine jams, then no one can unjam the rocks! No one even knows where we are right now!” Cass retorted. “We shouldn’t hang around here; we don’t need another major injury on our hands! This little side quest was great, but we need to get to the shelters, or at least above ground, now.”

The gears screeched and ground to a halt below them. 

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Cass groaned.

“We did talk it into existence,” Rapunzel sighed, getting down onto her stomach and crawling to the edge to peer down into the gears.

“In all of this man’s genius, he didn’t think to install a shield of some kind over the gears of his giant weather machine?” Cass angrily scraped her foot against the platform before looking up at the cracked ceiling and stared at the turnstile, trapped far above their heads. “Uh, Raps, it looks like we might have some trouble turning the machine back on if this turned the machine off.”

Rapunzel looked up at the machine. “Uh, oh.”

“Someone come get me, maybe I can help,” Varian called.

Cass walked over to Varian as Rapunzel stared down into the gears, searching for the jam.

As Cass returned to the middle with Varian, Rapunzel sat up and began untying her hair. 

“I see where the rock got caught between the gears. I think if I lower Pascal down there, he can dislodge it.”

“How are we even sure we need to do this?” Cass said. “I’m pretty sure that flash meant that some kind of magic or alchemy or whatever was triggered, so--”

“--Cass, you were the one that pointed out the turnstile,” Varian interrupted, “The machine jammed and was forced to stop before it was done, proven in the very fact that the turnstile is still raised. We need to unjam it to at least see if we can lower the turnstile again and put the machine into rest.”

“Ugh, fine,” Cass groaned, “Lower Pascal.”

Rapunzel nodded sagely and began unbraiding her hair, Pascal chirping as he ran down from her shoulder to pose on the bridge proudly. Hair out of her braid, Rapunzel tied the end of her hair around Pascal. She laid down on the bridge and slowly lowered him down into the gears far below. Once Pascal was as low as he could go, he strained, trying to reach the rock. Pascal was only a small way away from it, but enough distance that he had no hope of hitting it. 

“Come on, Pascal!” Rapunzel cheered from above.

Pascal swatted at the air and snapped his tongue towards the stone, but he couldn’t reach it. Frustrated, he squeaked up at Rapunzel and shook his head no.

“Okay, Pascal, let me pull you up, and we’ll figure out some other way.”

Pascal looked down at the rock contemplatively. It was just out of his reach, he knew that if he just got a little lower, he could hit it out of the gears, but before Pascal could decide to unknot the hair rope around him and plummet into the dark below, Rapunzel started tugging him back up. He sighed sadly as his plan faded before his eyes.

“Oh, buddy, I know you’re upset, but what else can we do?” Rapunzel said from above.

“How far away do you think he was from the rock?” Varian asked as Rapunzel lifted Pascal onto the bridge. Pascal squeaked at him and spread his forelegs wide.

“It was a little ways below him, maybe about a three or four-foot distance from where Pascal was,” Rapunzel translated. “Why do you want to know?”

Varian sat quiet, but his eyes had a hard look in them.

“We are not lowering you down there, Varian,” Cass said, “You are wounded, you have a broken leg! It’s too dangerous for you to be lowered down. If Rapunzel jerks you too roughly, it could shake the brace out of place, and you could get stunned from the pain. You need to be alert when being lowered down in a proper harness, leave alone in a bundle of hair. We are not sending you down there, and that is final.”

“But I’m the lightest person here; it makes the most sense to send me down. I’ll be fine, and we can easily adjust the brace afterward.”

“You are the lightest person here, true, but you are also the shortest, if we're not counting Pascal,” Cass stated, “What if we lower you down and you can’t reach it either? Then we’ve risked making your injury worse for nothing.”

Rapunzel looked between them. “I… I don’t want to make your injury worse, Varian, but I see your point.” Rapunzel curled up on herself. “If you weren’t injured, this wouldn’t even be a debate.”

“Rapunzel, I’ll be okay. Trust me.” Varian placed his hand on Rapunzel’s. 

Rapunzel stared into Varian’s eyes and looked up at Cass. Rapunzel sighed. “Cass?”

“I don’t think lowering Varian down is a good idea.”

“So, I can’t go down there, Pascal can’t reach, and Varian is hurt. What if we lower you?”

Cass looked up at the cracked ceiling, took a deep breath, and, reassured that the rockfall stopped, looked below into the gears. Her eyes were hard with determination.

“Okay, Princess. Let’s lower me down.”

Cass wrapped Rapunzel’s hair around her waist, and they started the slow process of lowering Cass down. Cass walked down the edge of the bridge until she had no leverage, and she swung gently as Rapunzel slowly gave her more slack. Cass kept her eyes on the rock wedged below her, watching the spot slowly get closer as she swung out of the way of gears.

“Okay, Cass, you’re as low as you can go! Can you reach the rock?” Rapunzel said, braced across the bridge, Varian holding onto her waist.

Cass looked below her, able to see the rock that sat between the gears. She kicked her legs out and tried to angle her body to get her legs lower, but realized she needed another foot or so to reach the rock. Cass gripped the hair wrapped around her middle and tried to wiggle it up to her chest without loosening the knot. 

“Cass?” Rapunzel called from above, “You okay down there? You’re moving a whole lot.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I can almost reach it,” Cass called up, feeling the hair start to slide up to her ribs, “I just need a little bit more-- Woah!” The knot of hair loosened in her hands, and suddenly Cass was dangling, gripping onto Rapunzel’s hair for her life, legs kicking wildly, smacking into the gears beneath her, knocking the rock loose. The gears began to grind and turn, the metal crunching and churning all around Cass.

“Cass!” Rapunzel shouted, yanking on her hair as the weight shifted below her.

“Cassie!” Varian called, holding on tight to Rapunzel, hugging her to the bridge.

Cass kicked her legs in a wild flail as she tried to steady herself and climb up Rapunzel’s hair as Rapunzel quickly pulled her hair up. She swung towards a set of gears and felt her leg collide with the teeth of one. She gasps and desperately clings to Rapunzel's hair.

Rapunzel helped Cass back onto the bridge, and Cass shakily crawled into the middle and laid panting, clutching her leg.

“See why I didn’t want you going down there?” Cass heaved out, smiling at Varian. Varian laughed at her, a shocked smile on his face.

“Oh, Cass, your leg!” Rapunzel gasps.

“It’s fine, just the same damn leg from earlier. Fuck, if I wasn’t bruised before, I sure am now.”

Above them, the Device flashed to life again and then slowly spun to a stop. The turnstile lowered back into place with a click. The sound of the gears clinked together before falling still.

“I think we did it,” Rapunzel said, staring up at the still machinery. She helped Cass to her feet and picked Varian up. Cass rested her hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder, and Varian reached over and put his hand over hers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact, back in the first draft, Varian actually did get lowered into the gears! He actually broke his leg when being pulled back up, his leg catching between two spinning gears. So, it was more like… it got...ripped off.   
> Cass banged her leg on the gear as an homage to this.  
> I’m being kinder to him now that I’m trying to be medically accurate. I could cartoon logic him surviving that, but... don’t worry, I have plenty else in store ;)


	5. The Rescue of the King and Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene saves the King and the Queen helps Eugene reconstruct an old song.

Lance stood on the cliff’s edge, holding the rope steady as Arianna reached the top. “You ready?” he called down to Eugene and King Frederic. 

Frederick was sitting on one of the wagon wheels, tied with three bracing ropes.

Eugene turned to Frederic. “Okay, your majesty, this should hold you.”

Lance nodded at the Pub Thugs and Maximus, who were also holding onto the rope, the signal to start pulling. King Frederick began to rise.

Eugene called up, “Alright, up there, steady now!”

The wind blew hard, making king Frederic swing back and forth. Eugene panics on the ground below, forced to watch the king swing violently. One of the ropes snap, and Frederick panics as the wheel tilts. He is thrown from the wheel, plummeting back down to Eugene.

Arianna calls out to him, unable to look away from her husband, plummeting below.

Frederic slides down the snow-covered slopes, screaming as he ramps off the broken carriage and towards the precipice. He slips on his belly towards the cliff, and Eugene chases after him, able to grab onto his wrist just as Frederic begins to free-fall down the ravine.

“Hold on, Your Majesty,” Eugene grunts, gripping the King’s wrist tight. His arm pulses and he can feel a warmth roll up to his shoulder, but he ignores it. Eugene’s free hand swings back, looking for traction in the snow as he begins to slide towards the cliff’s edge.

Lance, watching from above, turns to the Pub Thugs and says, “Quick! Help me get down there!”

Eugene finds enough purchase at the edge to not slide down with the king but cannot pull him up on his own, straining in his attempts to keep himself balanced. The king begins to slip from his grasp, and the king notices.

“Eugene,” Frederic says, “Please, take care of Rapunzel.”

“We are going to get you outta here,” Eugene argues, “Besides, you should know by now, Rapunzel doesn’t need anyone to take care of her.”

Eugene lays in the snow, strength waning as Lance calls out that he is on his way. Eugene loses his grip on the King just as Lance leans over to help grab hold of the king.

Eugene, a relieved smile on his face, reaches down to grab the king. “Almost got you!” 

Both men pull the king to the safety of the cliff’s edge.

Frederic sighs in relief and turns to Eugene. “Thank you, son,” then he turns to thank Lance and pauses to ask, “Excuse me, but is that my hat?”

Lance smiles at him shyly.

* * *

They march on in the whipping snowstorm with everyone back onto the clifftop, King Frederic riding on Maximus. Eugene studies his arm, testing his fingers.

“You okay there, Eugene?” Lance asks him, making him on the shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m alright." Eugene rubs his wrist. "I was just wondering why my arm felt like it did when I was holding onto the king. It seems that every time I touched him, my arm felt like it was twitching and pulsing. It wasn’t a numbness; It was something else.” He rubbed his arm, lost in thought.

“Eugene, it’s cold, and you were in a panic. Maybe you were feeling an adrenaline rush,” Queen Arianna piped in, walking closer to him, “And holding onto him couldn’t have been easy. Maybe you pulled a muscle saving him.”

“Maybe, your Majesty, but my arm feels okay now," Eugene says, looking at her. "It only felt like that when I was holding onto him, and I felt it before too, while I was helping him onto the wheel lift.”

“I’m not sure what it could be," she shakes her head solemnly, "but we’ll have a doctor look at your arm when we get back to the castle,” Arianna tells him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

“At times like this, I wish Rapunzel still had her healing powers,” Eugene sighed, dropping his arm as he slumped.

“Eugene, wouldn’t she need to be here to use it anyway?” Lance asked, a small laugh in his voice.

“Well, yeah, but it would still be useful,” Eugene said, staring at his arm again. “How did that incantation go again? It was something like, “Flower gleam and glow/ let your power shine/… oh, what was the rest of it?”

“Oh, are you trying to sing a lullaby?” Frederic asked him, Max trotting next to Eugene.

“Oh, your Majesty, I didn't even realize you and Max got next to me,” Eugene laughed, clutching his chest. “And sort of, I’m trying to remember how Rapunzel’s old healing song went.”

Frederic hummed in response, bringing his hand up to his face. “Well, I used to be interested in the musical arts when I was younger. The first two lines sound all right. Do you remember anything else?”

Eugene shrugged. “Something about a clock, I think? Then returning, no, bringing back something that was mine?”

The King hummed. “Perhaps, since this is a healing song, the clock is a reference to going back to before the injury?" He gestured his hand out towards Eugene. "So, it could go, ‘Flower gleam and glow/ Let your power shine/ Make the clock reverse/ Bring back what once was mine’.” 

“Wait, that does sound like how she used to sing it!” Eugene slapped his hands together and smiled up at the King, “But I can’t recall how the second verse went.” He sighed and brought a glove up to his face.

“Are there any other fragments you remember?” the king asked, looking down at him.

“Yeah, something about healing the hurt, and a design change or something?” Eugene rubbed the back of his head. "I dunno, I only heard this part once."

The King hummed the first part a few times, finding a rhythm.

“Aw, that sounds like the lullaby Rapunzel sings to Pascal sometimes,” Queen Arianna said, walking over to Eugene again.

“Oh, hello, dear." Frederic nodded to her. "Eugene and I are trying to rewrite a song Rapunzel once sang to him. He can’t remember the lines.” 

“Rapunzel sings the incantation to the frog as a lullaby?” Eugene deadpanned.

“That or she sings it to herself.” Queen Arianna giggled. “So, what do you have so far?”

Eugene sang the first verse to her, feeling his arm throb and buzz as he sang. He tugged his sleeve up just enough to see a golden flowery swirl fade from his wrist.

“I think the second verse begins with ‘Heal what has been hurt,’ but I can’t figure out what a ‘design change’ has to do with healing,” Frederic provided, shrugging.

Arianna thought for a moment, tapping her chin. “Maybe the next line is about changing the designs of Fate? It goes against the plans of Fate if someone who is supposed to be hurt suddenly isn’t.”

“Oh, of course! The next line could be ‘Change the Fate’s Design’!" The King laughed, "It fits the syllable count for the second line. Thank you, darling.” Frederick put his hand on Arianna’s shoulder. She hummed and leaned in close to him.

“But that’s not the full song, we’re missing the third and fourth lines,” Eugene said, looking over at them.

“The fourth line could be the same in both verses, but you are correct,” Frederick said, “What could the third line be?”

Eugene stared down at his arm before putting his hand over his heart. “She brought me back to life with her powers. Maybe it has something to do with that.”

“Saving a lost soul would also go against the designs of Fate,” Arianna supplied.

“Arianna, you are brilliant, but I’m not sure how to make that fit the syllables,” Frederic said.

“‘Save what has been lost/ Bring back what once was mine,’” Eugene sang. The pulse ran up his arm again.

“There you go, son, I think we just remade that song!” Frederick laughed.

Eugene looked up at the king with a smile, then looked down and let his face drop. _What if…_

“Are you alright, Eugene?” Arianna asked, looking him in the eye. 

Eugene was startled out of his stupor. “What? Oh, yes, I’m fine.”

“We found a cave! Wanna set up a camp there?” called Lance from up ahead.

“Try to light a fire when you get inside!” Frederic called into the wind as a confirmation.

* * *

Inside the cave, the king, queen, and rescue crew sat around a small fire for warmth. The remains of their dinner littered around the fire. The cave was angled, so most of the wind and snow remained outside. With little supplies, they sat close to one another for warmth, stripped of their outer layers while they dried.

“This reminds me of my journey across the third continent,” Arianna said, breaking the silence. “We had to shelter in a cave for three whole days as a typhoon whipped across the hills we were traveling through.”

“You traveled, your Majesty?” Lance asked her.

“Oh, yes, years ago, when I was only a princess. I was doing work there to help political strife and help an ally rebuild some towns ravaged by war. I thought it was the least we could do and I wanted to get out of Corona and see other places. It was magical, and I even think about the bad parts a little wistfully now. Not that I’d want that to repeat, but it felt so much simpler then. Just walk up to someone and pick up a board and a hammer and get to work. Now,” she giggled and shook her head, “well, even that is complicated now. Now, it means something; it’s political, my helping is a symbol for something, and I can’t even stay and actually help. Something about how a monarch can’t get all dirty doing physical work.”

Eugene laughed. “I guess that makes some sense.”

“Yes, Rapunzel should enjoy herself and her freedom to roam responsibility-free while she can. The second she is crowned the leader of Corona, she can’t just up and leave like she’s used to doing,” Arianna said.

“It’s a habit she’s going to need to break sooner than she thinks,” Frederick gruffed.

“Oh, Frederick, she has plenty of time yet before she needs to settle into all this,” Arianna told him.

The atmosphere grew tense, and the Pub Thugs all tensed as the monarchs glared at each other.

“So, did you figure out that song you were working on, Eugene?” Lance asked, changing the subject.

“Yeah, actually,” Eugene said, shifting as a plan popped into his head. He brushed his hand over the King’s hurt ankle; they all had taken their gloves and boots off so they could dry. Eugene felt his arm pulse and buzz at the contact with the king’s wound. He coyly asked Lance, “Wanna hear what we came up with?”

“Sure, let’s hear it,” Lance said, catching on to the dig in Eugene’s voice.

Eugene took a deep breath and began the incantation. He felt the pulse go through his arm again. His arm began to glow, the swirling, flowery gold patterns racing from his shoulder down to his wrist. The cave was filled with a collective gasp as they all stared at Eugene’s arm. At the end of the mantra, the glowing patterns slowly faded, and King Frederic made a sound of surprise.

“Oh my, son, my ankle feels better.” Frederic rose to his feet and took a few confident strides, and he began to laugh.

“Well, would you look at that,” Eugene breathed in disbelief.

Frederic walked over to the cave’s opening and made a sound of surprise. “I can see the sunrise. I think the storm is over.”

Eugene and Lance raced to the cave mouth and stared out at the pink, cloudless sky.

“Guess that means we should get dressed and keep walking,” Eugene said.

“Indeed,” the King said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s just take a break from Hair Gang and the Evacuees to see the Rescue Team, huh?  
> What a fun little discovery that I so wished was Canon. What really happened to the Sundrop’s healing powers? Did it just...disappear when her hair was cut in the movie?Are the powers now connected to her tears instead of her hair, so in order to heal, she must cry on someone? Why?  
> The logic still escapes me, is it explained anywhere? The Sundrop was intact in the series finale, supposedly, so what happened to that power? It should still be with the Sundrop, as healing is its primary ability.  
> So, if Rapunzel loses it for Reasons™, Eugene gets the power. It’s what he deserves. Loner Rogue Thief gone Royal Knight Healer.  
> Math.  
> And whatever, I’m already changing the moonstone into a flower. I can also fiddle with the sundrop stuff too. It’s my story and I can do what I want lol


	6. A Bittersweet Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone returns to Corona.

Rapunzel led them through the tunnels. Varian was asleep in her arms, his hair stripe had long stopped it’s strange glow, leaving the normally vibrant streak a dull blue-grey in his dark hair. Cass limped behind Rapunzel, putting her weight on her sword and carrying the map in her free hand.

“Are you sure you don't want to stop and rest your leg?”

“Raps, I’m fine. It’s just a bruise. Besides, if I’m right, we’re almost to one of the castle openings.” 

“You’re limping.”

“I’m fine, Raps.”

Rapunzel stared at her, brows drawn and lips pursed in a frown, but she let the matter drop. She adjusted her grip on Varian and followed Cass. The clinking of her sword on the stone was the only noise in the dark hall. The tunnel began to twist upwards until they hit a door. Cass pushed the door open into one of the castle’s basement storage rooms.

“Told you I knew where we were going,” Cass boasted.

“Is this the east wing storage hall?” Rapunzel asked, taking in the room. She squeaked excitedly and Varian groaned in her arms, blinking awake.

“Sorry, Varian,” Rapunzel winced.

“We in the castle now?” he asked blurrily.

“Yup, welcome to a storage hall,” Cass said. 

“Oh, and look! It’s daylight!” Rapunzel pointed at the window, where the peach-colored dawn sky gently glowed through.

Varian yawned. “Weren’t you supposed to be in the shelters by dawn or something?”

Rapunzel bit her lip. “Right.”

“We’re in the castle, and from the lack of roaring winds, I think the storm stopped,” Cass said, “Nigel is just going to have to deal with us being here. Now come on, let’s go see if we can find some painkillers.” Cass shoved open the doors of the room and led them down the hallway. The was a small layer of debris on the carpet; vases of flowers had fallen to the floor and shattered, tapestries were ripped off the walls, paintings had fallen and ripped on their impact, and console tables had tipped over. 

“What happened between you two, anyway? I sense animosity,” Varian said with a coy smile.

“He just doesn’t like me,” Cass said with a shrug, “Says that being the Captain’s daughter doesn’t suddenly make it okay for me to want to be a guard. And he hates that I’m the Lady in Waiting for Rapunzel; thought that Rapunzel should’ve had any of the other maids.” She waved her hand as she pushed open one of the doors. “This is the medical closet.”

“Sounds like he should take it up with whoever made you Lady in Waiting then; not make it your problem,” Varian said.

“I told him that, and he didn’t take it well. He’s not supposed to get angry at his higher-ups,” Cass said, finishing with a laugh. She handed Varian a bottle of pills. “Take this with food and water, three times a day.”

“Really? He sounded pretty peeved at Rapunzel’s decision to help me,” Varian snickered, putting the bottle in his apron.

“It was a state of emergency, and I was leaving Corona without a Royal to look out for them. Of course he got mad at that,” Rapunzel said with a heavy sigh, “I’m supposed to be a beacon of hope for Corona, and I left it in its time of need.”

“Rapunzel, you said it yourself at the start of this, Old Corona is a part of Corona. You were still helping your people, just not the one’s Nigel wanted you to focus on,” Cass said, placing her hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder, “He cares about the citizens on the island first and foremost, as is his job as advisor to the king and the city, but in that bias, he neglected all of the other citizens in the Kingdom. You didn’t.”

“I know,” Rapunzel said, a sad look in her eyes. “But, I still sent Eugene into a blizzard, making the man I love to face possible death, and we don't even know if he or my parents are safe, then I risked Pascal’s and your life in the chamber. I put the kingdom second and entrusted the entire welfare of Corona to a fairytale! We didn’t save Quirin from the amber, and Varian has a broken leg as a reward for trying to save his father.” Rapunzel let out a choked breath, eyes tearing up. “I… What if these were my first decisions as queen? I don’t think I want to be queen. I am nowhere near ready.” 

Varian wrapped his arms a little tighter around her shoulder. Pascal squeaked sadly from her shoulder.

Cass squeezed Rapunzel’s shoulder and gently put her hand on Rapunzel's cheek, “Raps, yesterday was overwhelming, trust me, I understand that, but even if you doubt your choices, I do think you made the right calls. You ordered the evacuation while it was still safe to have people cautiously travel. The Pub Thugs know those mountains well and would know how to keep your parents safe in that storm. Corona needed the guards to help guide them to the shelters. We didn’t initially set out to find the Device, but stumbled across it anyway and sent the storm away.” Cass looked into Rapunzel’s eyes. “I know I fought you on some of those and I don’t think I’ll stop fighting you on your decisions, but don’t beat yourself up for making your own and trusting your gut, it helped us out yesterday. And you being queen is a long way off, but no matter what you decide when the time comes, I’ll be by your side.” 

Rapunzel sniffed and smiled at her. “You’re right. Thanks, Cass.”

Cass quietly took Varian into her arms, Varian accepting the transfer and wrapping his arms around her neck. “Hey, come on, let’s see if anyone is back in town yet, huh? Get some fresh air and sunlight? See if any bakeries are open yet?”

“Or, we could do a kitchen raid?” Varian offered, a mischievous smile spreading across his lips. 

Cass rolled her eyes, “Ugh, not you too. You say that in front of Lance, and you’ll steal his heart.”

Rapunzel puffed out a laugh, “Yeah, yeah, okay.”

* * *

Captain blurrily blinks his eyes open. Uncle Monty sits in front of the door, staring out the port window. A gentle peachy color streams through the windows. The Captain turns to look into the main room and many people are awake; Bakers and chefs stand in the little kitchen and the smell of bread and frying eggs and vegetables winds through the air. People sat on the chests or in the bunk room and ate their meal. Bowls were passed out to the waiting guard and castle servants.

“Ah, Captain, you’re awake,” A female guard, Adelaide, says, handing the captain a mug of tea and a bowl of food. “The storm broke around an hour ago. Some guards and crewmen went to scout the path to the dock, to see if it is safe to go back yet. No word yet, but Uncle Monty offered to watch for them.”

The Captain takes the mug and nods at her words. “Good to see some of the men taking initiative.” He sips at the tea, before glancing at the floor. “I don't even remember falling asleep.”

“That’s alright, Captain. Yesterday was a long day for all of us. When I woke up and saw you asleep, I checked around and made sure everything was in order then sat in front of the door until Monty took my spot.” She laughed. “You know, for a baker, he can be quite persuasive.”

“He’s a good man,” Captain agreed.

“Hey, the scouts are back!” Monty says, unbolting the door.

“The snow has stopped and the waters are calm. It’s safe to head back to Corona.” A scout reported.

“What is the state of the ship?” The Captain asked.

“The ship is being checked over now, sir. But from the port, it seemed to be in good condition.”

The Captain nods. The crowd cheers and hurriedly begins to gather up their things and spread the message into the bunk room. The chefs and bakers begin to tidy up the kitchen.

In a little over an hour, the people were ready to head out. Nigel stood next to the Captain and the two men followed one of the scouts to the dock, the three of them leading their people back home.

The crew waved at them from the ship, a howling whoop echoing from the crew. 

“She’s sea-worthy, Captain! We can sail!”

The other townsfolk filed up the gangway and settled into the large cabin from before, spirits high.

The Captain sat next to the same window as before and looked out onto the water. Nigel sat next to him, shifting nervously.

“What is it, Nigel?” the Captain finally asked.

“The Princess never showed up.” Nigel's voice was tight.

The Captain sighed and turned to look at him. “Nigel, I’m sure the girls are fine. They might’ve just lost track of time if the matter is as dire as it sounded, and the storm only broke roughly three hours ago. They could still be sheltered somewhere in Old Corona. If they come to the shelters and discover that we’re not there, Cass at least knows how to get back to Corona. I say we shouldn’t worry until we get into Corona." Nigel stared at Michael and he cleared his throat. "If they don’t return by the afternoon, then I’ll send a search party for them.”

Nigel looked at him. “I told them to get to the shelters by dawn.”

“And the Princess technically doesn’t need to listen to your every suggestion." Michael smacked Nigel lightly on the shoulder. "She’s a free spirit, Nigel; we’ve seen her get distracted by new sights before and have found her staring into flower gardens, completely transfixed. Cass knows how to tug her out of her states, but Cass also lets her have them from time to time." He shook his head with a wistful laugh, "Their tardiness could be from that, or perhaps Quirin is having trouble stomping through the snow after his emergency, or, again, the storm that only stopped three hours ago. A walk in knee-high snow takes time, Nigel, or did you not realize that?” 

Nigel’s face turned red and Michael let out a laugh. “ _Captain_ , don’t use such a tone with me! I understand all of this, but she still agreed to meet us there at dawn.”

He straightened an gave Nigel a hard look. “No, Rapunzel said they’d stay as safe as possible. Cassandra said she’d get them there as soon as she could. Neither promised dawn,” he gruffed, “and, if I was them, I’d head straight to Corona by this point and meet you there.”

“Really, Michael?” Nigel laughed, “You’d honestly defy an order and skip a checkpoint?”

Michael shook his head. “Again, the Princess doesn’t necessarily need to listen to you, and even if she did, this isn’t a strategic mission or a patrol route, Nigel. This is more akin to a return mission; you can skip certain points if it makes you return to home base faster.”

“I know you’re the captain, but that just doesn’t sound right to me,” Nigel said, turning his palms up and shaking his head, “I imagine there are still certain protocols to follow even on a return mission.”

“There are," Michael straightened. "but you don’t need to check in with every base on a return hike, so long as a base knows you are on the return.”

“So my point stands,” Nigel says, lips curling into a smile, “As the only checkpoint, the Princess should’ve headed towards the shelters.”

“No, because if she reports at the castle that she has returned, she can skip the shelter checkpoint.” Michael crossed his arms across his chest.

Nigel sighed, a laugh in his voice. “Michael, are you just trying to defend your daughter’s actions and tardiness by coming up with these most probably false return mission protocols?”

“I could see how some might think I’d give my daughter special privileges, but I don’t." Michael stared out into the room, taking in the faces of his men. "She still had to make it up to me for refusing an assignment during the Science Exposition, and she proved herself by catching the Saporian Separatist thief. She only plays by slightly different rules because her Lady in Waiting duties must come first.”

Nigel shakes his head. “You put a lot of trust in your daughter, Michael.”

“Of course I do, Nigel. She’s earned it.” He looked over at him, a weariness in his eyes.

“Even knowing what you do about her parentage?” Nigel leaned in and cocked his head, hand on Michael's shoulder, fingers teasing.

Michael looked Nigel in the eye. “Cassandra will not turn out like her mother.”

“Oh, but can you be sure?" Nigel purred, hand going to the captain's neck, finger's curling into his slightly overgrown hair. "I can feel a certain... _quality_ about her that makes me doubt that. A shadow that weighs over her. What could happen if that shadow decided to exert its weight on her?” Nigel's chin was on his shoulder and Michael couldn't disguise the chill that went down his back.

“That is enough, Nigel.” Michael shoved him off, shoving himself closer to the window.

Nigel followed after him, his voice still low, but his wicked smile displayed some deeper emotion. “Not telling her who her mother is could be doing more damage than you know. I know you see the resemblance, too. The darkness behind her eyes.” 

“I don’t care about your role in all of this, Nigel, I can lock you in the stocks for this slander! My daughter has done nothing to warrant this!” Michael shouted, jumping to his feet, teeth bared at Nigel, who sat on the bench, smug.

His voice boomed louder than he expected and the chitchat of the other passengers stopped and all eyes were turned towards them. The Captain put his head in his hands as he sat back down.

He lifted his head from his hands slowly, fingers trailing down his face. “My daughter is more than capable of guiding the Princess home safely. Just because they didn’t come to the shelters doesn’t mean anything.” The Captain said, loud enough for the silent crowd to hear. “If they are not in Corona on our return, then we will send search parties, but until then, do not think so ill of my daughter, Nigel.”

"Oh, but of course, Michael," Nigel said, smug smile still on his lips.

The boat lurched and a crewman walked down the stairs to them. “We have arrived at the Coronan ports.”

Everyone raced to a window to peer out at the island. The excited cheer was cut off as a stunned silence suffocated all sound.

Roofs had caved in and entire buildings collapsed under the weight of the snow. Large piles of snow, stone, wooden beams, and personal belongings clogged the roads. The castle towers had collapsed and the castle's roof tiles and shattered glass littered the docks. 

The people uneasily unloaded and stared at the wreckage in front of them.

“Oh, my,” Nigel said as he took in the scene. People stood on the dock and upset was starting to take over the crowd, an uneasy rumble coming from the crowd. A young woman, holding her young daughter to her chest, sobbed quietly as she stared out.

“Everyone, settle down. A scenario just like this was the entire reason why we decided to evacuate. But, so long as the ground beneath us is sound, we can repair anything,” the Captain said. “Now, guards, begin clearing a path so we can get off the docks. Once we get into town, I want you to test the stability of any building not in total collapse.”

The guards saluted their captain and began to clear a path. Some of the citizens joined them, pushing the snow, stones, and beams to the side of the road to create a path. Others began gathering up the household items that littered the streets. The more feeble stayed with the children, trying to dry their tears with stories and fantastic ideas of how much better the city could look once everything is put back up.

Towards the main street, The Captain looked towards the bridge and sighed. 

“The bridge collapsed,” one man said.

“This is bad,” a woman in the crowd spoke aloud.

“Yes, but we can rebuild,” the Captain said. “It will take time, but everything is fixable.”

“Look, up on the gate!” Someone cried.

The Captain looked up to the castle gate and saw the long golden hair of the princess dancing and curling in the wind. The Princess waved at them.

“Look, the Princess!” someone behind the Captain shouted and the crowd began to cheer.

Rapunzel swung down and ran into the Captain's arms for a hug.

“Princess, glad to see you are safe,” the Captain greeted her, as he rested his hands on her shoulders. “Did you come back to the castle when the storm cleared up?”

Rapunzel nodded, “Yeah, we--”

“Princess, oh thank heavens,” Nigel said, walking up to her, “When you didn’t come to the shelter, we began to worry.”

Rapunzel let go of the Captain and looked over at Nigel. “Sorry, Nigel, I know you said to be there by dawn, but we--”

“We saw that the storm stopped and decided that we could meet you here too,” Cass said, walking up to them. The Captain placed a hand on her shoulder in greeting.

“Hmm, my instructions were clear, were they not?” Nigel sneered at her.

Cass squared her jaw. “Yes, sir, b--”

“But Varian got hurt. Cass says he broke his leg,” Rapunzel said, pointing over at Varian, who was seated against one of the walls, on one of the tablecloths and surrounded by a small pile of bread, fruit, and bottles of cider. He waved at them lazily, sucked of all color.

“We might’ve been having a picnic when I heard some shouting down the road.” Rapunzel giggled nervously, curling her hair around her finger.

“We didn’t mean to ignore any commands, but we figured we would have a better time finding him what he needed at the castle than at the shelters,” Cass said, looking up at her father.

The Captain looked to Cass. “What happened?”

“The roof of his lab caved in on us, and a beam or stone crushed his leg." Cass waved her arm, gesturing towards the wrecked houses. "I patched him up with the supplies you gave me and carried him back here.” 

“You carried him back in the storm?” The Captain asked, face lighting up in worry, checking her over.

Cass brought his hand to her cheek and she shook her head. “No, we took shelter in an underground room until the storm calmed down. Then we made our way back here.”

“Is this accurate, Princess?” Nigel asked Rapunzel, turning to face her. 

Rapunzel shared a glance with Cass. “Uh, yup, we took shelter in a space under Varian’s lab. We then made our way back here when it was safe.” Rapunzel gave a small smile at him before letting her face fall. “Nigel, have you heard anything about my parents?”

Nigel looked down, and the Captain lowered his gaze as well. 

“No news yet, I’m afraid,” the Captain reported, “I’m sorry, Princess. I know you’re worried, but it’s still early, and the mountain road the King and Queen took isn’t anywhere near the shelters. It’s possible they found shelter during the storm and are on their way back now.”

Rapunzel looked down at the stone underfoot before looking up at the Captain with her lips drawn up into a small smile. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“I’ll have Owl check for them.” Cass whistled for Owl. Owl hooted as he flew to Cass, landing on her outstretched arm. 

“Hey, buddy. Go look for the King and Queen. They should be on the road to the mountain pass.”

Owl hooted and she launched her arm up into the air, giving him momentum as he flew off towards the east. 

“And now we wait, I presume?” Nigel huffed.

“Or get to work,” Cass said, walking down the road towards one of the leveled houses. The Captain caught her as she stumbled and lead her over to the first house, Rapunzel following after them.

Nigel stood there with a huff. “But what of the castle?” Nigel grated as he stared up at the structure. 

“Don’t worry, sir; we’re on it,” a butler said before walking into the castle plaza, followed by a small band of servants.

* * *

Rapunzel was perched on a roof, unbraided hair glinting in the midday sun as she stood on a roof, readying herself to jump into the second story of the building. Cass, back to using her sword as a crutch, and the Captain were on the walkway below, carrying debris from the doorway of the shop Rapunzel was preparing to enter. Nigel watched the cleanup, standing next to Varian, who sat on a stool someone had found for him. Some townsfolk wandered about, carrying baskets full of housewares. Owl cried overhead and swooped towards Cass.

“Hey, buddy, report,” Cass said. Owl hooted again. “Owl says that he spotted the Pub Thugs on the other side of the bridge. It looks like everyone is fine.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Nigel said, slumping over in relief before shooting up straight. “The bridge is out.”

“Ah, right,” the Captain said. He pointed at a guard. “Go get a boat ready. The King and Queen are on the other side of the bridge! They need transport.”

The soldier saluted and ran towards the ports. Everyone else scrambled to clear the roads as fast as they could. Cass and Rapunzel ran over to Nigel and Varian. 

“How did you get here with the bridge out?” Nigel said, brows pinching and arms crossed.

Rapunzel stared at Cass as she picked Varian up, both sharing a nervous look.

Varian rolled his eyes and said, “Ever heard of a rowboat? Easier than carrying me across the bridge.” He gestured at his leg. “Didn’t even realize it was out until we saw it.”

Nigel hummed, eyes squinted, before walking into the castle plaza.

The girls breathed out a sigh.

* * *

The rescue crew escorted the King and Queen into the Castle’s Courtyard, Max proudly carrying both of them. Eugene walked towards Rapunzel, and she ran into his outstretched arms. She hugged him tight, then pulled back to stare into his eyes. He leaned down and kissed her before letting her run over to her parents. She hugs her mother tightly and then her father. She scritches Max’s chin.

Varian, sitting against a wall, sighed heavily. Cass, her arm already wrapped around him, hugs him a little tighter. Varian rests his head against her shoulder.

“We’ll figure this out together, Varian.”

Varian curls into her hug a little more and nods. A shaky breath making his chest tremble.

“I’ll stand by you through this.” Cass rests her cheek in his hair. “I got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rough Draft had Varian sitting alone, Cass off greeting the King and Queen. She walked over to him a little later and found him curled in a ball, shoulders tense as he tried not to feel. She sat next to him then and gave him the same little pep talk before helping him into the castle.  
> This is actually where the story originally ended, but we are nowhere near done! We got a season finale to completely restructure and two more seasons to play with :D We are only just beginning!  
> Told you this thing ran away from me.


	7. Doctor's Orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With everyone back in Corona, it's now time to assess the damage.

The courtyard was a buzz of motion, guards, and staff clearing up the clutter and filing into the castle. The Pub Thugs ran over to help clear up some debris as well, helping divide up the piles against one of the walls. The castle’s medical staff were one of the first to exit the castle, carrying a stretcher behind them. Cass hovered as they got Varian situated.

“Oh, set him up in the room next to Eugene’s!” Rapunzel called out to them. One of the nurses turned around and curtsied to the princess.

Cass walked over to Rapunzel. “Okay, shall we go in?”

Rapunzel stared up at the castle, taking in the loss of the towers, and nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

“You two have been inside already, so I’ve heard,” the King said, walking back to them. “The Captain told me you arrived here first.”

“We did, your majesty.” Cass bowed. “We only saw the first floor, however. It’s a little cluttered; the windows shattered and the winds knocked some things over, but it is relatively intact.”

The King nodded, a low hum in his throat. “Lead the way, Cassandra.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

Cassandra led them up the ramp and through the doors. Inside was like peering into an active beehive; staff and guards ran through the castle, carrying out debris. Maids and butlers tidied up the relatively unharmed rooms while others carted in furniture from less fortunate areas. One strong woman carried a dresser on her own, dropping it in the front hall with a huff before she curtsies to the King.

“Oh, your majesty!” one butler said, running over, “With the destruction of the towers, we also lost the royal bed chambers. What shall we do?”

Frederick looked over at him and sighed. “Gather up a team, try to find as much as you can; dresses, cloaks, jewels, and gifts from our royal guests are top priority.”

The butler bowed. “Yes, your majesty.” He ran off, just to be replaced by a maid.

“Oh, your Graces!" she curtsied, "With the towers gone, where shall we house you in the time being?”

“We will find a spot on our own, do not worry,” Frederick told her, lifting his hand into the air.

“There are more important things you could be doing, we’ll be fine!” Arianna said to the handmaiden, gently waving her off.

“I should also meet up with the Captain for a damage report,” Frederick huffed, “My meeting with him outside was brief and I want to know the extent of the damage.”

“Your highness, in all due respect, we must find you a place to rest in,” a butler said, walking up to them, a small band following him.

“Why not the guest hall; those rooms are still intact,” Rapunzel spoke up, smiling brightly.

“My word, princess! We can’t house you there!” a maid gasped, aghast, hand to her chest.

“But, why not?" Rapunzel cocked her head at the maid, "We have no guests in Corona at the moment and it’s a fully furnished space with a bed.”

“How will we fit all of your dresses in there? Your jewels when they are found?” She said, clasping her hands in front of her.

“We don’t even know where their dresses and jewels are,” Cass interrupted, rolling her eyes, shooing the maid with her hand, “With their limited personal effects, a guest room will work.”

“But where are we to put them when we do?” the maid asked, looking at Cassandra.

Cass rolled her eyes. “We have plenty of other rooms elsewhere to store their clothes in. In the meantime, I think setting them up in a guest room as a temporary measure will have to suffice,” Cass said, crossing her arms.

“I agree. We can manage in a guest room while the castle is… renovated,” Arianna said, looking around, an uncertain look on her face, “The rooms are good enough for our guests; they will be good enough for us.”

“Yeah, and that’s all just stuff anyway, so long as we have the dresses on our backs, what else do we need?” Rapunzel smiled.

A handmaid gasped and swayed on her feet. 

“Princess, the royal dresses and jewels are more than just _stuff!_ ” another scolded.

Cass groaned, and wrapped her arm around Rapunzel's waist. “The princess understands the significance of the dresses and jewels just fine, Emelda, but Rapunzel has a point. Their royal majesties have some of their royal garments on their backs and now need a temporary place for their chambers. Let’s set them up in a room so we can start looking for the dresses and jewels. Then we can start discussing where we should store them and if their majesties need to be moved elsewhere. But let’s focus on the current task so the King and Queen can get to their work.”

The maids and butlers ducked their heads.

“Thank you, Cassandra,” Frederick hummed, walking past the crowd of servants gruffly.

“We can stay in this one,” Arianna said, opening one of the guest room doors. “This bed is smaller than we are used to, but I think it can fit us both.” She smiled at her husband.

Cass peeked into another room. "This one looks fairly intact; needs some straightening up, but the furniture seems sound."

“Then we will stay in the room Arianna found and Rapunzel will take the one Cass suggested.” Frederick straightened up. “Now, let’s go see the throne room.” Arianna wrapped herself around Frederic's extended arm and they walked down the hall.

“Come on, Cass, let’s go see if we can help anywhere! Let’s go, Eugene!” Rapunzel said, running down the hall.

Cass shook her head, staring after her. "She been going non-stop since yesterday; she refused to sleep when we stopped to rest. She just doesn't stop, does she?"

Eugene patted Cass on the back, "That's our Sunshine for ya." He ran after Rapunzel, Cass on his heels.

* * *

Varian’s new room was a swarm in its own right. Roughly ten nurses swarmed in and out of Varian’s room, making sure he was comfortable and that his leg was appropriately supported. One brought in a platter of fruit for him and left it on a table next to the bed. Another carted in a wheelchair, followed by a maid that brought in crutches. They helped him stand so he could test out the height of them. The maid clapped as they seemed to be the right height for him then helped him get back into the bed. 

They walked out of the room, and Varian sighed heavily. “Ugh, finally.” The sound of creaking wheels approaching his room made Varian groan. “Oh, what now?”

A doctor walked into Varian’s room. He pulled in a cart full of supplies and jars and then shut the door.

“You are Varian, correct?” the doctor asked, “I am Cassiano, one of the medical professionals in the castle. I heard about your broken leg and came to examine it.”

With that, he gently forced Varian’s legs together. He nodded in approval and pushed Varian’s right leg away and began to examine the splint.

“The splint, though crude, is secured properly,” he mumbled to himself, “but I need to remove it to get a better look at your leg.” He began unwrapping the gauze, and the planks loosened and plopped onto the soft bedding. He took a pair of scissors and cut up Varian’s pant leg.

“What-- Hey! Why did you--? You could’ve just rolled them up or told me to take them off!”

“Oh, hush, it’s dangerous to move your leg all about when your bone is broken. Ah, I see now why they patched you up as they did.” The doctor began to gently pull at the stiff, blood-soaked cloth on Varian’s leg. Varian winced and sucked in a pained breath. The doctor hummed before standing and going over to his cart. He searched through his equipment before pulling out a bottle. He gently poured the contents around the cloth. Once soaked, the doctor gently pulled at the fabric and pulled it off to examine the cut. Varian bit his lip hard as the doctor prodded at the wound and wiped off the dried blood with a wet cloth.

“Hmm, it’s not too deep and seems to be healing fine, no infections from what I can tell. Still, it’s best to put this on it either way.” He grabbed a small tub out of the cart and smeared a harsh smelling salve onto the cut before putting a new cotton cloth over the wound,s securing it down with strips of gauze. Varian hissed at the cold burn of the salve on his cut. The doctor then brushed his fingers over the broken tibia, pressing against the deep bruises. Varian’s hand curled into fists as his body tensed at the feeling.

“Hmm, you are such a thin young man, and normally that would be concerning, but in this case, it’s actually helpful. It seems to be a clean break. Let’s get you into a proper splint, hmm?” The doctor dug in his cart and pulled out a cloth and a bottle full of liquid. He got the fabric damp and then pressed it to Varian’s mouth.

“This will help you not feel the pain. Breathe in deep now.” 

Varian blinked blurrily up at the doctor, the herbal fumes off the cloth making him dizzy before his eyes drooped and his body went limp. The doctor then began to wrap up Varian’s leg in a new splint. Varian ground his teeth together, able to still feel his bad leg through the haze. He shakily let out a breath as the doctor finished setting his leg. He placed the newly set leg onto a cushion. The doctor gave him a once over and nodded.

“Okay, son, I think you’re good. Make sure you rest up and--” he paused dramatically before dropping his voice into a commanding tone, “--eat something; you are skin and bone.” He packed up his equipment and rolled his cart out of the room.

Rapunzel ran into the room soon after, Cass and Eugene walking in behind her. They were covered in dust, but Rapunzel’s eyes shone brightly.

“Hey, kid, how ya feelin?” Eugene said, sitting in the chair next to the bed and grabbing Varian’s hand.

“Dizzy,” Varian said, looking over at Eugene.

Cass sniffed at the air. “I think the doctor gave Varian some kind of painkiller potion. It smells like nightshade and mandrake root in here.”

“Aren’t those supposed to knock you out?” Rapunzel asked.

“In the right doses, but I think the doc underdosed him.” Cass looked over at Varian, arms crossed. "See he gave you a new splint."

Eugene brushed his other hand over the splint, his arm pulsing harshly and the gold patterns quickly shooting up to his shoulder, making Eugene snap his hand back. “Wow, okay, that is a nasty wound.”

“Did your arm just glow?” Cass asked, incredulous, arms dropping to her sides.

“Uh, yeah,” Eugene said, rubbing the back of his neck, “So, turns out I got Rapunzel’s healing powers, and I healed the King’s sprained ankle with it.”

“How does that even happen?” Cass flipped her hands up at him.

Rapunzel put her hand up to her lips and looked over at Eugene. “When you cut my hair off in the tower when you were bleeding out. My hair lost its power, and you went limp in my arms. Then the room lit up with those same patterns. When I brought you back to life, I must have transferred my healing powers to you.”

“Wait, wait, so if Eugene has the healing powers, does that mean he’s the Sundrop now?” Cass asked, looking between them. 

“Isn’t another part of being the Sundrop being a blonde with seventy feet of hair?” Eugene countered, gesturing at Rapunzel, “Look, I’m not sure what this makes me; all I know is that I have the healing powers now, and we have a hurt friend.”

Cass crossed her arms across her chest and took a deep breath. “Okay, so let’s see you heal Varian.”

Eugene took a steadying breath before he reached over to Varian’s hurt leg again. His fingers brushed over the brace, and a jolt ran up his arm. Eugene winced as the jolt raced up his arm again, the golden flowers and swirls glowing brightly as he sang. “Flower gleam and glow/ Let your power shine/ Make the clock reverse/ Bring back what once was mine./ Heal what has been hurt/ Change the Fate’s design/ Save what has been lost/ Bring back what once was mine/ What once was mine.”

Varian sucks in a breath as his hair stripe glitters and shines. Eugene finishes the incantation and pulls back.

“Wow, you remembered it perfectly,” Rapunzel gasped, smiling at Eugene.

“So, how’s the leg feeling now?” Eugene asks Varian, putting his hands on the bed next to Varian.

“Still really sore,” Varian said, looking over at Eugene.

“What? But I healed the king with it,” Eugene said, staring at his arm incredulously. He spun and looked at Rapunzel. “Do you know why it didn’t work? Is there a once-a-day limit or something?”

Rapunzel blinked at him before shrugging. “I don’t know, I only ever _did it_ once a day, when Gothel came home from the market.”

Eugene huffed and sneered out, “Well, if that vain cougar only asked for it once a day, then maybe there _is_ a limit on it.”

“Or maybe she didn’t want Rapunzel to overdo it?” Cass provided, “Maybe there is a limit, not in a once-a-day sense, but in a daily-limit way. Maybe you can heal a bunch of small ailments in one day, but if you heal too many little things, you can’t heal a big wound. Here,” Cass began, pulling a knife out of its holster and slicing her palm with it before Eugene or Rapunzel could react, “try to heal this.”

“But I just tried to heal Varian’s broken leg. What if I used it all up doing that?” Eugene said, standing up and walking over to her anyway.

“Just try before I change my mind,” Cass said, shaking her head at him.

“Okay,” Eugene said, cupping her hand between his. His arm pulsed, and he began the incantation again. When he finished, he let go of Cass’s hand, and she stared at her healed hand in wonder.

“Woah, okay, so I’m leaning with the daily-limit thing still,” Cass said, flexing her fingers.

“Then why is Varian’s leg still broken?” Rapunzel asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe the incantation nulled out once it realized it couldn’t heal Varian’s leg completely?” Cass guessed.

Eugene shook his head and flexed his hand. “I don’t know. I felt something as I held onto Varian. It was stronger than both the King’s and Cass’s wounds, but not that much different. During the incantation, however, it felt...strange, I don’t know how to explain it.”

Cass hummed at him. Pascal squeaked from Rapunzel’s shoulder. 

“You’re right, buddy. This mission just got a lot bigger.” Rapunzel looked over at Varian.

The stripe in his hair glowed a bright blue in its sea of dark brown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a Minor in Medieval and Early Modern Europe. I will talk about their wild medical practices and natural remedies. I have so many weird medicines I want to talk about. I didn’t graduate in May 2020 just to sit on it. :)  
> And it was this idea that made me continue this idea. So, let's go! Only… 86 more to go!  
> Not really, but also, it might not be a lie? Continuing season one and how Varian not going villain causes a huge overturn for the rest of the story. I’ve got my plans, but… :)


	8. New Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian adjusts to his leg and staying in the castle; Rapunzel and Cass help clean up the town; Eugene runs some errands.

Varian shot up in his bed, awakened by someone coming into his room, but relaxed when he saw it was a maid, leaving him a platter of food. He flopped down on the bed with a groan.

“Sorry to wake you,” she whispered, “but it’s breakfast. I’ll leave it on the bed stand.”

“Yeah, okay,” Varian said, desperately trying to blink his eyes open. “What time is it?”

“A little after eight, my liege.” She curtsies and walks out of the room.

Varian stared at the ceiling. _The roosters didn’t wake me up?_ He looked around the room, processing. _I’m in the Castle. Do castles not have roosters? How do they get eggs if they don’t have chickens? Wait, they buy them from us. They don’t need chickens._

_My leg feels numb._

Varian tries to sit up again and finds his leg in a brace and elevated on a pillow. He stares at the brace around his leg. _My leg is--oh, right. Right. Yesterday happened. All that actually happened. The Chamber, the tunnels… my lab… my dad..._

Varian shook his head and stared at his leg.

_I guess numb is better than being in pain._

He moved his left leg off the pillow and felt the numb feeling race up to his thigh. He hissed through his teeth but kept moving his leg until it was hanging off the bed. He bit his lip, a drawn-out groan ripping from his throat, as the blood rush shot through his leg. He sat there, frozen, as his leg caught up with the rest of him. When the rush went from boiling to cool, he tried standing up, putting all of his weight on his right leg and leaning hard on the bed stand. The sensation going through his leg was making him dizzy and the room spun around him. He grabbed the crutches, leaned against the foot of the bed, and got himself steady on them. 

He hopped his way over to the tiny desk they found for him and he sat down, exhausted. “No, I think I’d prefer the ache over the numb, actually,” he groaned into his arm. 

He looked at the work on his desk, chemical compounds he wanted to test on the amber and black rocks. The formula for the amber compound was written in the middle of the sheet. He had scratched down each thing he tested back in the lab, even using Rapunzel’s hair as a drill tip. Each chemical compound used to act as a stabilizer, but once it interacted with the black rocks, these compounds didn’t cause a reaction. He flipped through his notes on the black rocks and stared at the few that at least _did something_ , even if that just meant it exploded, leaving the black rocks intact.

His head swam, a terrible aching behind his eyes. He closed his eyes and breathed. His stomach burned and his throat felt tight. His leg throbbed. Varian opened his eyes and stared at the door.

He sat up and began drafting out a tentative floorplan for a small farmhouse, big enough to house five people in. He rolled it up and wrote a formal request to the Captain if he could assist with the rebuilding going on.

With that drafted, Varian stared at the tray of food the nurse left him, but he forced himself to look away.

“Earn your food, Varian,” he whispered to himself, “No one wants to feed someone not putting in their keep.” He looked at the hallway door. “Grown children earn their keep.”

* * *

Rapunzel walked through town, her dress covered in dust and grime, her hair turned black from it dragging against smoke-stained wood. Her smile was bright as she hopped over a pile of timbers. “Helping with the clean-up in the market plaza sure feels good, right, Cass?”

Cass had soot on her face and clothes as she walked around the timbers. “Yeah, sure.” She huffed, before softening. “It is important work; I think the people do like seeing you out here, you truly are a beacon for them.”

Rapunzel stood on the rise of the road and looked out onto the Northshore. Her voice was wistful and quiet. “Yeah. It’s what I’m supposed to be doing as a princess, right?”

Cass walked over to her, placing her hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder. “Raps, you feeling alright?” 

Raps looked over at Cass and smiled, but Cass could see the dullness in her eyes. “Oh, sorry, I guess that came out a little gloomy, huh? I guess I’m just a bit tired.”

Cass frowned at her. “Yeah, we have been out here all morning. I think it’s time we ate something and got cleaned up, yeah?” She turned Rapunzel around to face her, “We have time until you have dinner with your parents, but let’s get you back early before you have to talk to them with wet hair.”

Rapunzel giggled. “Yeah, alright. Lead the way.”

They began towards the castle, Rapunzel stopping to help everyone she passed, a smile plastered on her face. Cass helped move some heavier stones and beams and Rapunzel grappled up onto roofs to check the second floor of a chocolate shop. Rapunzel walked out of the front door, carrying a box of utensils. She waved at the chocolatiers as she and Cass went on their way.

“Luckily the staircase was intact,” Rapunzel said, laughing. “The only big damage I could see was the caved-in roof. Their bedroom is a little messy, but the floor is still stable.”

“Well, that’s a relief. If it’s just the roof, they might be able to open up shop soon.”

“I know, it’s such a good sign that everything will be okay. I can’t wait for the plaza to smell like chocolate again.” Rapunzel giggled.

“Oh, there you are, your highness!” A guard said, running up to them. He stood in front of them, panting slightly. “Your father, the King, is requesting an audience with you, and with Cassandra as well.”

“An audience? What for?” Cass said, glaring at the guard.

“Oh, relax, Cass. It’s just my dad. It’s fine,” Rapunzel waved her hand. “Go tell my father we’ll be back right away.”

The guard nodded and ran back to the castle.

“Raps, a request for an audience with the king is major. This is his way of getting to tell someone off.” Cass faced Rapunzel, gripping her shoulder and gesturing at the castle.

“Cass, you're overreacting." Rapunzel waved her off. "What could he want to scold us over? Remember at breakfast, how pleased he was to know that we helped save the kingdom?” She shook her head, a smile on her face.

“Raps, need I remind you that we were only able to do that by giving your job to Nigel and my father?” Cass pressed in, getting closer to Rapunzel's face.

Rapunzel looked away from Cass, pulling away from her and rubbing her arm. “No, no, you don’t. You don’t think he’d be too mad about that, though, right?" She said, looking up at Cass, "I mean, the Captain and Nigel did phenomenally and gave us the chance to--”

“--to go run off into a blizzard with Varian." Cass interrupted, "We didn’t set out to find the Demanitus Device. We set out to help Varian.” Cass sighed, shaking her head. “In this context, I don’t even think his status as a vassal’s son would get us out of the potential hot water we’re in. Even if Varian was a Duke or Baron, I think your father would still be livid.” She let out a sour laugh.

“We went to go help Quirin, a man my father trusts as a dear friend.” Rapunzel sighed, bringing a hand to her chest, eyes determined. “Let’s just go see what he wants to talk about. Maybe it has nothing to do with the storm at all," she said, softening her tone, "Maybe he just wants my opinion on the color of some new rugs or paints or something. Let’s just relax until we know for sure what he wants.”

Cass stared at Rapunzel, brows drawn. “Okay, Raps. Let’s go to the castle.”

* * *

Eugene walked through the halls, opening every door and peeking in each room, checking for any damage. He’s mostly just found broken windows and messy beds, some dressers fell over, but ultimately easy enough work to clean up. He strode down the hall and pushed open Varian’s door.

“Hey, how’s the other half of Team Awesome to-- oh!” Eugene jumped, taking in the scene.

The bed was a mess of blankets, plates of untouched food sat on the ottoman and bed stand, paper balls and books littered the room, and small lab-experiments sets were on the desk, dresser, and any other flat surface, some knocked over and spilling on the furniture. Varian was face-first on the floor, crutches flung across the floor.

Eugene ran over to Varian, taking his hand and helping him to a sitting position. “Kid, what happened, did someone break in?”

Varian groaned, rubbing his neck. “Gah, no, I just fell trying to get to the hallway. Tried to take too big a step, I guess.”

“Yeah, I saw that you fell, but the mess in here. What happened?” Eugene asked, helping Varian to the desk chair.

“Oh, yeah, I tend to attract clutter.” Varian shrugged.

“You’ve been here for a day, how does a room get this messy in a day?” Eugene asked him, flabbergasted. “And why is there so much food in here?” He walked over to the dinner plate. “This was last night’s dinner. Did you even touch this?”

Varian sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “No.”

“And the breakfast plate on the bed stand, the lunch on the desk. Varian, why haven’t you touched any of these?” Eugene looked over at Varian, who refused to look Eugene in the eye. 

“Not hungry, I guess,” Varian mumbled. He was a little pale and his hands shook. He turned back to the desk, staring at the formulas he wrote down.

“Varian, you need to eat. I know being in pain can make you sick to your stomach, but you need to try to eat something.” Eugene looked at the pill bottle on his desk. “Have you even taken your painkiller yet?”

Varian curled his fingers into fists. “I’ll take them when I’m done.”

“No, you are eating something now and taking the pill now,” Eugene barked, shoving the lunch tray on top of the formula sheet.

“Not hungry, don’t need them,” Varian said, shoving the tray away.

“How are you not hungry? You haven’t eaten in nearly twenty-four hours!” Eugene said, stamping his foot. “You just don’t realize that you are hungry. I’m not leaving until you eat something.” he huffed, crossing his arms.

Varian rolls his eyes. “That’s a threat?”

“Don’t be cheeky with me!” Eugene pointed at him with a glare.

“Ugh, fine,” Varian groans before taking a few small bites and popping a pill. “Happy now?” Varian deadpans, going back to his plans.

“Barely.” Eugene stares at Varian’s scratch sheet. “What language are you writing in?”

“It’s alchemical elements. I’m trying to make up an elixir that can melt the amber.” Varian scratched a few more symbols onto the sheet.

“Right,” Eugene nods slowly. He stares around the room taking in the mess again.

“So, did you need me for something?” Varian asks Eugene after a minute, “Or are you just gonna hover now?”

“Oh, uh, well. I mainly just wanted to check in, try your leg again, but I know when I’m not wanted.” Eugene turned and took a step towards the door.

“Then, try my leg again,” Varian said.

“What?”

“You didn’t try healing my leg yet, so you can do that now.”

“Oh, right.” Eugene walks over to Varian and spins his chair around and gently lifts Varian’s leg onto the ottoman. 

Eugene grazes his finger against Varian’s leg, watching the symbols appear on his arm and hand. He took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and began the incantation. Varian inhaled sharply and his eyes rolled back. Eugene finished and pulled back.

“Anything?”

Varian gently lowered his leg to the floor and tried to stand up before wincing in pain and sitting back down harshly. “Nope. Not any better.”

“Huh, what is wrong? I know I’m singing it right.” Eugene stared at his arm, flipping it around.

Varian shrugged. “Maybe the Sundrop can heal cuts and twisted ankles but not broken bones?”

“Varian, I’m pretty sure Gothel was ancient," Eugene said, cocking his head towards him. "She turned to dust when she fell out of the tower. Dust. She was using Rapunzel’s healing powers to extend her life. You’re gonna tell me it can’t heal a broken bone?”

“But that’s when Rapunzel had the power. She was born with it. You… not so much.” Varian said, shaking his hand in front of him.

“Technically, I was reborn by the power,” Eugene said, standing back up.

“Uh-huh. I’m just saying, that could play a part." Varian said, putting his hands up. "Rapunzel could artificially extend life. You can only fix some minor scrapes. You are clearly lacking something.”

“Like what, seventy feet of golden hair?” Eugene smiled stupidly at him before they both burst into giggles.

“Ah, oh, so, anyway,” Varian said, rubbing at his face, “Can you take this to the Captain for me?" He handed Eugene the letter and some scrolls. "It’s mock-up blueprints for a small house and a letter asking if I can help out with the reconstruction. I can draw up prints for houses, businesses, public buildings, ya know. I know Old Corona better than the capital, but I can help out in either spot.” Varian smiled as Eugene studied the letter, nodding slowly.

Eugene unfurled the rolled-up documents, staring at the expert lines and layout for a home. “Wow, these are really good.” Eugene looked up at Varian. “But, are you sure you should be doing this? Aren’t you supposed to be resting?”

“I can draw up blueprints with a broken leg!” Varian said with a cocky smile.

“I know, but wouldn’t it be easier to do it here than in Old Corona?” Eugene said, rolling the plans back up.

Varian glared at Eugene. “My dad is in Old Corona, _encased_ by those rocks. I have some ideas, some chemicals I could try if I was only there with him. I need to keep trying.”

Eugene stared at him, taken aback. “I’m not saying you can’t. I’m only saying that you shouldn’t push yourself. You can’t do anything if you are too exhausted to keep working, too hungry to think straight.” Eugene gestured to the bowl of food, and Varian winced. “You can’t help him if you don’t recover. Your leg requires you to rest, so stay in bed or at your desk. Eat what you are given and take your medicine so you can get better faster." Eugene shoved the tray closer to Varian and Varian looked up at him. "You are no help to your father if you starve yourself or if your leg stays broken because you can’t take care of yourself.”

Eugene paused to look at Varian and grab hold of his gloved hands. “Look, I’m so glad to see you wanting to help your father no matter what, but your only human, Varian. Think up some formulas, draw some blueprints, but don’t push it, alright?”

“Yes, sir,” Varian said quietly, ducking his head.

Eugene lifted Varian’s chin with a finger. “Hey, it’s Eugene, kid. None of this ‘sir’ stuff, alright?” he said gently before stepping back and picking up the plans. “I’ll go ask the captain if you can draw up blueprints for them.” Eugene began to walk out, opening the door. "Just promise me you'll eat something while I'm gone?"

"Okay," Varian sighed, picking up the roll of bread from the tray.

Eugene nodded and took a step from the room.

“Eugene, wait, one more thing,” Varian said, reaching out for him. “Can you get me some old trade route maps?”

“Uh, sure, but why?” Eugene said, backstepping into the room.

“Well, my dad… he left a note." Varian said, biting his lip. "I couldn’t make much out much, but he mentioned a place called the Dark Kingdom. I just want to see where it is. See if maybe, once I’m good to travel, if it’s possible to get there.”

Eugene looked at him and smiled. “Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.”

* * *

The Captain rubbed between his eyes, before looking up at Eugene. “Let me get this straight. The kid that Rapunzel and Cassandra followed into the storm, the kid with the broken leg, wants to help reconstruction by drawing up floor plans?”

“He called them blueprints. They are building plans,” Eugene said, gesturing with his finger.

“I know what they are, Fitzherbert,” Captain grumbled, flapping the plans onto the desk. He shook his head. “I don’t know if I should permit this. The plans are well-drawn, but he is injured, badly. Drafts could be useful, but many of us already know how our shops and homes look and most folks don’t want a remodel. And Old Corona, well…”

“Captain?” Eugene asked.

He groaned. “We are thinking of leaving Old Corona alone for now." he rose to his feet. "The villagers all remain in the shelters and the town got hit quite badly in the storm. Reports are coming in that Old Corona is practically leveled except for a few buildings.” He glanced at the soldiers hovering in the room.

“Isn’t that all the more reason to send Varian there?" Eugene pleaded, throwing his arms at the Captain. "He grew up in Old Corona; he can help rebuild.”

“It’s not that simple," he said, shaking his head, "The damage is extensive. Sending him now, well, he’d be in the middle of piles of rubble. He could stay here and draw the plans if he so wants to." He walked to the other side of the desk and faced Eugene. "It would help us rebuild the village later, or help us build a new village.”

“Build a new village?” Eugene repeated, brows drawing together as he stepped back from the Captain.

“The site Old Corona currently sits on is facing some... challenges.," the Captain explained. "We are trying to find a way to remedy it, but we need to think of every option. That includes building a new village.”

“Of course, sir," Eugene bowed slightly, "I’ll let him know that… his plans are under consideration?”

The Captain sighed. “For now, but it is leaning heavily towards rejection. I need to consult with the king and the boy’s doctors, but if either says no, well, it’s out of my hands.” The Captain threw his hands in the air and shook his head.

“All clear, Cap.” Eugene saluted, then cocked his head. “He also asked if he can look at some old trade route maps?”

“Ugh, talk to Adelaide, she’s in the archives right now. She can help you find them.”

* * *

“Here’s your maps, kid,” Eugene says, walking back into Varian’s room. Varian was scribbling aimlessly on his scratch sheet. Eugene smiled at Varian's lunch tray; though not cleaned off, it was heavily picked at.

“Oh, thanks. What did the captain say?” Varian smiled up at Eugene, taking the maps.

Eugene grimaced. “Kid…”

“He said no, huh. Kinda figured, but had to try.” Varian said, slumping against his desk.

“It’s not a no, it’s under consideration," Eugene explained, resting his hand on Varian's shoulder. "If your doctors say you're good and the king allows it, you can help in Old Corona, but if anyone says no, well, nothing’s stopping you from still drawing up blueprints. You just have to do it here.” He forced a smile.

Varian gave a half-smile and shrugged off Eugene's hand, turning back to his scratch sheet. “I suppose that’s true.”

“He said it would be helpful, you drawing up some plans for your village," Eugene continued, rubbing the back of his neck, "Things are just complicated, from what I could gather.”

Varian tilted his head back, closing his eyes. “That’s not surprising. The town was already falling apart. The snow couldn’t have helped matters.” Varian put his head down on the table.

“You would know better than I would.” Eugene got close again, putting his hand on Varian's back. Varian immediately twitched away. 

“I just wanted to help my dad, too." Varian curled into a ball in his chair.

Eugene stared at Varian for a moment before he flicked the maps. “Hey, how about we look at these things, huh? Let’s see if we can find this Dark Kingdom.”

Varian looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah, okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give me fluff of these two boys. Varian is everyone’s little brother.  
> I’ve never broken a bone, but I have torn the tendons in the arch of my foot and tore the muscles in my ankle, so oh boy do I know the pain of the blood rush after sleeping with your leg elevated.


	9. A Royal Scolding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel and Cass respond to King Frederick's summons

“Ah, Rapunzel, there you are,” King Frederick said, standing from his throne. An advisor bowed and left the throne room through a side door. Rapunzel and Cass, still covered in soot, walked into the room. Rapunzel hurried to her father, but Cass held her back by the arm.

“My king, why did you call for our audience?” Cass asks, bowing to him.

“Right, to business, then,” the man sighed, sitting down. “I’ve heard reports of your actions during the snowstorm.” The girls straightened, but the smile fell from Rapunzel’s face. Cass stared at her king, eyes cold.

“Now, I do think your actions are commendable in certain respects, but irresponsible in others,” Frederick continued. “I’m glad to hear you evacuated the city so quickly and put faith in your quick thinking, stopping the storm; and pleased to hear that you assisted a subject in need. I also hear rumors that you three also ended the storm together, and for that, you all should be praised.”

Rapunzel gasped happily. She looked over at Cass, but Cass kept her eyes on the King.

“However,” he continued, “I am disappointed that you left the Captain and Nigel in charge during this crisis.”

Her smile fell from her face and turned to face her father. “But--”

Frederic let out a gruff sigh. “Rapunzel, from what I can understand, the kingdom was in a state of emergency before you left. It is highly irresponsible to leave your people during such a crisis.”

“But, Old Corona _is_ our people,” Rapunzel said, hand flying to her chest, looking at him.

"Old Corona is an _extension_ of our people, Rapunzel." Frederic corrected, leaning towards her, "The capital must come first. In a state of emergency, you should’ve had our guest from Old Corona evacuate to the shelters. Afterward, once everyone was in the shelters and safe, you could have then considered helping him, if the conditions allowed for it, but not anytime prior to that." He sets his jaw. "With us gone, you were to look after the kingdom, not hand it over to the Captain and Nigel. Yes, they carried the task with expertise and pride, but it was not their burden to carry, it was yours.” King Frederick sighed, looking her in the eye.

“I know, father, but I promised to help him." Rapunzel threw her arms out to the sides. "I technically promised to help him _after_ your return, but the situation changed and he needed my help immediately." She rubbed her arm nervously, but leaned towards her father, determined. "What was I _supposed_ to do? Break my promise? Let him run back to Old Corona alone? Dad, the whole town looked like it caved in and Quirin was--”

“I heard about Quirin’s condition, and I am dreadfully sorry for his son’s loss," Frederic interrupted, "but a Princess must put her subjects first, not someone from the outskirts of our control." He huffed out a breath. "Yes, Old Corona is a highly important village, but Old Coronan’s know how to endure. The people from the capital city need their royalty present during a crisis, and in that regard, you failed.”

Rapunzel stepped closer to him. “But, dad--”

“My dear, I am left with no choice but to remind you your actions have consequences.” Frederick rose from his seat. “Rapunzel, you will be restricted to the castle walls for four weeks, and, by dawn tomorrow, your duties and training will be doubled. Is this clear?”

Rapunzel's shoulders slumped and her eyes went wide, “But, how am I supposed to be present to my people if I--”

“Am I clear?” he barked.

Rapunzel, crestfallen, took a deep breath. She looked up at him, eyes budding with tears, but hardening with resolve. “Yes, father.”

Frederick sighed walking over to her. “Rapunzel, please understand what I’m doing here. I do believe that all of your other actions are commendable. Truly, I was pleased to hear that you evacuated the kingdom while it was still safe for the ships to sail to the mainland and I am proud to see my daughter so committed to her friends that she would brave a storm for them." He smiled at her, gentle and proud. "I am amazed at your quick thinking and how you and your friends saved the kingdom so heroically."

He dropped the smile with a sigh. "But you need to understand that there are actions that royalty cannot make, not without repercussions. What would’ve happened if the Captain and Nigel didn’t do their jobs so well? What if they got hurt in the storm? Then who would lead the people to the shelters? Who else in this kingdom is a pinnacle of leadership they could’ve rallied around to keep pushing?" He shook his head and took another step towards her. "A Queen’s job is to lead her people with dignity and grace, even in the worst of times. How could you do that when you were off in the blizzard?”

Frederick put his hand on Rapunzel’s shoulders. Rapunzel looked up at him, jaw set. Her eyes reflected his expression up at him and he saw a not unseen passion under her tears. He saw in her the burning, passionate heat of the summer sun and the blinding coldness and distance of the winter sun. _She truly is the Embodiment of the Sun._

“I understand. Your instructions are clear, Your Highness,” she whispered at him, ripping away from him, but keeping eye contact. 

Frederick took a sharp inhale of breath; he felt burned by her icy tone. _More in her than I know, indeed._

Cass stared at her princess, wide-eyed, brows drawn upwards in concern. “Rapunzel?”

Frederick adjusted his robe. “I, well, if I am understood--”

“King Frederick, if I may come in?” The Captain said, walking into the throne room from a side door.

“Ah, yes, come in, Captain,” Frederick said, extending his arm to him. “Rapunzel, Cassandra, stay here. You two might want to hear this report.”

The Captain clears his throat. “Your Majesty, between needing guards rebuilding here in the castle and our fair city, the guards will be stretched very thin and I am unsure how to best proceed on preparations for the Griffin of Pittsford’s visit. The recruitment of civilian help is on the table for reconstruction efforts for the City of Corona and I have many assisting some of my teams presently, but the people of Old Corona, well, many are not well enough to engage in such labor, as many seem to have contracted the flu while in the shelters.”

“Hmm, I think it would be best if the sick were quarantined in the shelters." Frederic nodded. "Are there any healthy men from the Old Corona or any of the other villages?”

“The Old Coronas that are healthy are busy tending to their sick, and the other villages are occupied with their own rebuilding efforts. I do have some men scheduled to survey Old Corona, but I’m afraid we might need to abandon the village.”

“No, we can’t abandon Old Corona!” Rapunzel yells, throwing her arms out.

“Rapunzel, there are other, more pressing demands!" Frederic snapped, turning to her. "Since Old Corona evacuated to the shelters, the village already lies abandoned. Repairs there can wait,” Frederick said, more gently. 

“But what about Quirin?” Rapunzel said, eyes wide.

“Rapunzel, we already covered this." Frederic sighed heavily, "Quirin is as good as gone. I’m dreadfully sorry to say it, but that is the truth of the matter. Your friend simply has to cope with that fact.”

Captain straightened and cleared his throat. “Well, I do think it best to focus on the capital first, but we could have the surveyors remain in Old Corona, as a compromise, see if reconstruction is possible and start plans?”

Frederick shook his head with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright. How many are already scheduled to go to Old Corona, Captain?”

“We currently have six teams of four scheduled on a rotating schedule, your majesty. The boy, Varian, has also requested to help by drawing up drafts for the houses, but, with his injuries, I’m not sure if I should permit it.”

“Send three teams to stay posted there, then." Frederic nodded. "More can assist them once the damage here is fixed and once the Griffin’s visit is over. As for the boy, check in with the doctors, see if he is fit enough to travel. His drafts could be useful. Is that fine, Rapunzel?” he turned to face her.

Rapunzel squared her jaw and nodded. “Yes, father.”

The Captain bowed and glanced over at Cassandra. She straightened her back and set her jaw.

The King looked over at Cassandra. “Ah, I almost forgot. Cassandra, I found fault in your actions that night as well. As the Lady in Waiting for the princess, you are to direct her decisions, to teach her how to be a proper queen, and yet, I hear that you defended her call to neglect her kingdom.”

Cass stared up at King Frederick. “Your Majesty, if I didn’t assist her and Varian, they would’ve gone alone and certain situations could have gone much worse without me there."

“It is honorable that you didn’t let them go alone, but your job is to direct Rapunzel through the proper procedures. Letting her leave Nigel and the Captain in charge of the evacuation so she can go run off into the storm was you doing your future queen a disservice.”

Cass pursed her lips and fired back. "She had already made her decision to leave and had put them in charge, to direct otherwise would going against her order. I did what I could and decided to go with her to keep her safe.”

"You are her Lady-in-Waiting! You must redirect her if her decisions go against procedure!" Frederic barked at her. "You should have urged the Princess to go to the shelters with her citizens!"

“Dad, stop, don’t punish Cass for my actions!” Rapunzel said, standing between him and Cass.

“Cassandra knows her role well enough by now to do it properly!” Frederick snapped. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I think it would be best for Cassandra to have some time away from the castle to think about her decisions.”

“Sir?” Cassandra asks shakily, eyes searching him.

“You are not firing her!” Rapunzel said, throwing her arm in front of Cassandra.

“No, no, nothing like that,” Frederick huffed and watched Rapunzel relax. “I simply mean that I think it would do Cassandra good to help out in Old Corona for some time. Perhaps four weeks would suffice?”

Cass sighed in relief, then looked up at him in confusion. “Sir, thank you, but, how am I supposed to do my Lady in Waiting duties if I am in Old Corona and Rapunzel is to be confined in the castle walls?”

“The other maids can handle the task in your absence." Frederic waved off. "In the meantime, you will help with the clean-up efforts and surveying teams.”

“If I may?” The Captain spoke up. The King nodded at him. “If the doctors clear Varian for travel, I think it would put everyone at ease if Varian had someone to assist him and set up his accommodations.” He looked over at Cassandra, who looked between them. 

“Cassandra? It is your choice. You can either help clear debris or assist Varian,” Frederic offered, "Though, you are still to help with clean-up efforts if you choose to assist Varian."

Cass bit her lip. “If the doctors clear him, Your Majesty, I will help Varian.”

“Then it’s settled. Cassandra will accompany Varian to Old Corona.” Frederic nodded, and walked back over to his throne.

The Captain saluted. “I will go speak to his doctors now.”

Cass curtsied and Rapunzel looked up at her father.

“But what about the rocks?” Rapunzel said, shaking her head.

“I thought I made myself clear that we will not talk about the rocks, Rapunzel. They are not for you to be concerned over.” Frederic sighed, sitting back down.

“They are littered all over Old Corona!” Rapunzel said, voice breaking.

“Yes," Frederic nodded. "which is why we are sending out surveying teams, to see the state of Old Corona and if rebuilding efforts were worth it or if we needed to relocate the village.”

“Relocate?" Rapunzel said, brows coming together. "We can’t just abandon Quirin!" she gestured wildly, "He could still have a chance if we could just find a solution! Figure out how to get rid of these rocks!” 

“Do you think that I am not looking for ways to remove these rocks?” Frederick bellowed. “Now, enough talking about this." He slumped in his throne, rubbing his temples. "We need not raise a panic about this. The guards being stationed there are also looking for ways to contain and remove them. The situation is being taken care of.” Frederick looked up at his daughter. “Understand that I intended to be more candid about this with you, and I’m sorry for not explaining sooner, but it is being handled. It is not for you to be concerned over, dear.”

“Okay, dad.” Rapunzel looked up at him. “Thank you for being honest.”

* * *

Cass walked Rapunzel into the bathhouse and Rapunzel mechanically began to unbraid her hair. Cass filled a tub with water and stoked the fire, all the while staring at Rapunzel, whose eyes were dull again.

Cass bit her lip, fingers twitching out towards Rapunzel. “Raps, back there…”

“It’s okay, Cass. Four weeks behind the walls isn’t the worst thing he could’ve done and Old Corona is still going to be helped.” Rapunzel took the last band out of her hair and Cass began to soak Rapunzel’s hair.

Cass took a calming breath and stopped scrubbing her hair. “I don’t really do feelings, but…”

“Honestly, Cass. It’s fine. He’s being strict for good reason. No matter how proud he is of me as a daughter, he can still be upset at my calls as acting queen.”

Cass stared at her before scrubbing her hair again. “Okay, but understand that if you are upset, I can listen.”

“I’m just upset that you got punished too. You even tried to stop us a few times. You didn’t want to go down the secret tunnel.”

“But I also never told us to turn around. If you don’t recall, you were the one that wanted to turn back when we got to the ridge; I just told you to make a choice. I was skeptical in the tunnels, but I only reminded you that we were supposed to be heading to the shelters. I never discouraged your progress. And if we didn’t go down that hallway, we wouldn’t have found the Demanitus Device and, well, the capital city could still be being buried in snow if we didn’t turn it on. ”

Rapunzel’s lips curled into a small smile, but just as quickly dropped. “Yeah, but my dad doesn’t see it that way. It doesn’t matter that we stopped the storm. He sees me as a wild, untamed princess, and you as an irresponsible pushover, which is the farthest thing from what you truly are.”

“Thanks, Raps, but I could’ve made a show of trying to argue with you to stay back at the castle before caving, but I just didn’t think to do it. I know you well enough by now and, well, maybe I thought it would be good to help him too. Better than listening to Nigel whine in the castle about the snow.” Cass laughed.

Rapunzel laughed at that and pulled out her journal, starting to sketch a picture of the throne room. Cass stared at Rapunzel’s notebook, brows drawn.

* * *

Once she saw Rapunzel fall into the arms of Eugene after dinner, Cass walked over to Varian’s room. She eased open the door and saw a guardsman salute Varian and move to leave the room. Cass backed up and stood in the middle of the hall. He bows at Cass and holds the door for her. Cass curtsies to him and walks into the room.

“Cassie!” Varian says, sitting up. “Finally a familiar face!”

“Yeah?” Cass laughs. “So, I take it you don’t know Liu that well?”

“No, not really. He was just telling me that I’m going to help out in Old Corona! I told the Captain that I could draw blueprints, but I thought the Captain rejected the idea of me going. Guess he changed his mind. Liu was just telling me that I will be going with the first team in the morning.”

Cass’s eyebrows raised. “Huh, I heard you were going but didn’t know it was with the first wave. I’ve been tasked with assisting with your accommodations.”

“Wait, they chose _you_ to assist me?” Varian stares at her in shock. He blinks and shakes his head. “But what about your Lady in Waiting duties?”

“The other girls can handle it for four weeks. Rapunzel gets to pull double duty here at the castle, so all they have to do is make sure she’s where she needs to be.”

“Okay, but why? Not that I’m not happy you’re coming with me!” Varian says, waving his arms and his face flushing red.

“King’s orders." Cass shrugged. "This is supposed to give me a break from my duties so I can clear my head, I guess. He’s not happy about Rapunzel going off in the storm. This is my half of the punishment since I didn’t direct her choices properly, according to the king.” Cass rubbed the back of her neck.

“Oh, so you helping me is a punishment,” Varian said, slumping. “Glad to know I’m wanted,” he sneered.

“No, the King said all that before my dad mentioned your request." Cass shook her head, waving her hands in front of her. "I ultimately had a choice between clearing debris or helping you.”

Varian stared up at her, a blush settling on his cheeks. “Oh.”

Cass cleared her throat, looking to the side. “Well, I mainly wanted to let you know the situation, but it seems you already knew some details.” She spins towards the door. “Goodnight, Varian.”

Varian huffed out a laugh. “You don’t have to leave, Cassie.” She paused at the door. “Actually, I haven’t had someone to talk to all day. No one wants me walking around, so I’ve been stuck in here. And Eugene, well, he’s checked in on me a few times, but it wasn’t for too long.”

“Though I left her with Eugene, I really should go check on Rapunzel and get her ready for bed,” Cass said. “I promise, if I somehow get her to settle in before the clock chimes nine o’clock, I’ll come back and visit, but we both need to wake up early tomorrow. The first team plans to head out just a little after dawn, so we need to be ready before then.”

Varian leaned back in bed. “Oh. Nevermind then.”

Cass laughed at him, shaking her head. “Goodnight, Varian.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not all sunshine is gentle and nice; sometimes it burns and boils, sometimes it is freezing cold. But it is still sunshine. Rapunzel having emotional range doesn’t necessarily break her character or her being the Sundrop. Rapunzel is shown in canon to have emotional range (her ferocity to find Pascal when he ran away? Her determination to get her parents back together in season three?) and is shown to bottle her negative emotions (her feelings around Cass at the start of season three, anyone?). But she is freshly traumatized and growing more and more upset; I want her bottles to crack a little.  
> She knows her father is hiding something from her and his words are upsetting her and her range and sadness are getting harder to push down with each word. The bottles she forged under Gothel, be a ‘perfect daughter’ or be further berated, can’t take the pressure of two traumatic experiences.


	10. Old Corona Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian and Cass go to Old Corona to supervise the assessment of the village. Rapunzel stays within the castle walls and prepares for the Griffin of Pittsford’s visit. What could go wrong?

The carriages were waiting outside the castle. Guards ran in and out of the castle and training grounds, packing trunks into the carriages. Cass wheeled Varian carefully down to the plaza, his broken leg supported by a bar off his chair, a guard walked behind them, carrying Varian’s crutches and had a bag slung over his back, large rolls of paper sticking out of it. Their breath clouded in the dark blue dawn.

Two guards lifted Varian into a carriage and helped him settle in, leg on top of a trunk. Cass sat next to him and held his crutches, his bags placed under the bench they sat on. She watched them store the wheelchair against one of the walls and secured it with a rope. They then reached up and held on to a rope attached to the ceiling of the carriage, one yanking on it to ring a bell.

They soon began moving and Varian put his head on her shoulder, yawning quietly. She wrapped her arm around his waist and stared out a far window. They were in the middle carriage, the safest one to be in, but Cass still felt the need to be alert. She watched as they left the castle grounds and proceeded down the market street, then onto the bridge.

The bridge was still being rebuilt, but thick pieces of wood spanning the gap allowed them to cross. It was a tense moment when they were on the boards and Cass was braced to jump from the window, arm tight around Varian. She relaxed when they were on the other side of the planks and noticed that Varian fell asleep. She hummed at him and stared out the window over his shoulder.

Varian breathed gently as he slept, and Cass chuckled as she realized that his mouth was open. She shifted her shoulder and Varian stirred, lips closing and forming a frown, brows furrowing, before he relaxed, jaw dropping open again. She shook her head, rolling her eyes.

She watched the terrain change, from the bridge to hills. The carts stayed on the path and she saw where Varian had them leap across in the storm before the path veered to the right. The ravine was dangerously steep with a wide river at the bottom, the stepping stones were thin spires that rose from the rushing water. She shuddered at the memories of smashing her leg against the stone and Rapunzel nearly plummeting down into that rushing river. A glance at Varian’s brace made her sigh, a mix of relief and guilt swirling in her chest. The two times she smacked her leg that night only caused a bad bruise on her calf; it was nasty, but she was healing fine and barely had a limp.

The caravan found the bridge and followed the path, and Cassandra slowly realized how much faster the path Varian took them on was. The climbs were steep and the leaps were risky, but the path from the bridge was winding, following the river, providing a crossing only to continue curling around the water. It dawned on her that it could have taken them hours to find the bridges in the whiteout and the area around the river was flat fields, providing no shelter from the winds. Despite the obvious danger the mountain path was, it at the very least sheltered them from the storm’s raging winds. 

As the carts went over one of the bridges, Cass felt a lump form in her throat. _The river is so wide and level with the grass; we could’ve walked over the river without even knowing until the ice broke beneath our feet._ She shook her head to clear away the thought. _No point in focusing on ‘what if’s.’ It didn’t happen, so no use pondering it._

They got passed over the second bridge and she saw the hill the beautiful ice caves had manifested in. She smiled fondly at the memory of them all sledding down that large slope. The cart went into the trees and she sat back, content to know the path the carts were following, but still struck by the beauty of the natural world surrounding them. She felt a weight in her chest lift a little once they got to the wild wheat patch. 

_Huh, I’m no farmer, but it looks okay. Some of the stems are a little frostbitten, but some of them look like unground wheat to me. Vegetables aren’t that resilient, but maybe the rest of the crops are okay after all._

They crossed through the trees and fallow land before Varian shifted against Cass’s shoulder.

“Hmmm, where are we?” Varian mumbled.

“Next to the cow farm right outside of the village,” Cass said, “Also, good morning.”

Varian sat up straight and rubbed at his face. “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“It’s fine, you need your rest. It’ll help the leg heal faster,” Cass hummed, feeling her lips curl into a gentle smile. She forced her face to drop once she noticed Varian staring at her, eyebrows lifted in confusion. 

The cart came to a sudden stop. 

“Why are we stopping here?” Cass asked out the window, “This is still the outskirts of the village.”

“True,” Stan said, walking up to Cass, “but the rocks are too densely packed together from here on for the carts. We need to walk the gear and supplies from here. Help Varian off and we can start going into town.” He walked towards two other guards. “Now you two start the rock research, see what you can figure out. The rest of us will head into town and test the remaining structures.” The guards saluted and ran off.

Cass grabbed the wheelchair then helped Varian onto it. She slung the crutches and his bag around her shoulders and she and Stan helped him off the wagon. 

“The snow really did its damage,” Varian said, looking around him. Many homes had their roofs caved in and the houses that had been lifted by the rocks had begun to fall apart, many beams and boards littering the streets and farms. 

Stan put a small chest on Varian’s lap before grabbing a chest for himself to carry. “The area up ahead is, as I'm sure you're aware, littered with black rocks and debris from houses. There are signs of wood rot in some structures, so the rocks and the snow aren’t the full cause of the damage, but it makes it that more difficult to reconstruct the houses in our diagrams and diagnose just how many homes were totaled by the storm.”

“Good thing I’m from here, then,” Varian said with a huff, but cocking his eyebrow up, “I might not know the exact floor plans of each house, but I know the general layout of most of them and can guess the rest from there.” He stared out at the road. “The village has been in disrepair for a while. The rocks made it that much worse, but no one would come to our aid. Honestly, it’s about time someone came to help.”

Stan shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sure if the King knew it was this bad, he would’ve sent at least surveyors here to assess the damage.”

“Yeah, maybe. I only came to the castle once with my dad and he said nothing about the rocks, only saying that he wanted more land for the harvest." Varian's eye twitched and his tone shifted darkly. "I wonder how many times he did that, what else he said when he was sent to get help for our village.”

Cass put her hand on his shoulder. “Were you ever present for town meetings, Varian? Maybe the other villagers wanted Quirin to be vague while making his request or perhaps Quirin knows something we don’t and he has to be… more nuanced when talking to the king?" she offered, looking at the houses. "They’re old friends, perhaps Quirin knows how to subtly ask for things by asking for something else. The king did seem to know quite a lot about what was happening here when he wanted to speak to me and Rapunzel.”

“You think that maybe asking for more cropland was them talking in code?” Varian asked, leaning towards her.

“It’s possible.” Cass shrugged and started wheeling Varian down the road. “Let’s just drop this for now and help unload the wagons. Stan,” Cass said, turning to him, “where are we setting up the base?”

“Uh, no set spot at the moment," Stan jumped to attention. "Just go see where the others are putting their crates and we’ll work from there.”

* * *

A maid pushed open a door for Rapunzel, into a large dance hall. “Okay, Princess, it’s fifteen to three, time for your lesson in how to walk in heels.” 

“I don’t really see why I need to do this,” Rapunzel said as she walked into the room.

“It’s one thing to go barefoot in Corona, Rapunzel, but it will be seen as disrespectful if you visit another kingdom without footwear. We’ve already seen the response to you not wearing shoes during your coronation,” Frederick said, walking towards her, holding a pair of block heels.

“Frederick, let me handle this, okay?” Arianna said, walking up to them while holding a pair of flats. “Rapunzel, sweetie, put these on for right now. They will help you get used to the feel of wearing shoes without the added element of balancing on the heel.”

“Okay, mom.” Rapunzel sat down at one of the chairs placed against the wall and the maid hurried over to help her into the flats.

“I want her to at least know how to balance in heels before dinner,” Frederick huffed as he walked towards the door. The maid, once she had helped Rapunzel to her feet, whisked over to open the door for Frederick. 

“We will be going at Rapunzel’s pace, dear, but I will see what we can do. Go prepare for your meeting.” Arianna watched the door close before she walked over to Rapunzel. “So, how do those feel?”

“Strange, but better than the heels I had to walk in at my coronation.”

“Good." Arianna nodded, smiling. "I thought the heels were a little much then. Under that skirt, I doubt anyone would have noticed if you took the heels off and walked down without them," she said with a giggle. "I tried to argue that you could wear flats, but your father forbade any changes to the wardrobe.”

Rapunzel hummed at that, taking a few gentle steps in the shoes. “Are they supposed to rub that harshly against my ankle?”

Arianna giggled. “When they are new, yes. You get used to it after a while. Just let me know when it starts to hurt so I can help you take them off. Flats can cause blisters or cut the skin while they are still being broken in.”

Rapunzel walked around the room, a little wobbly, but still confident in her stride. “It’s so strange, not being able to feel the tile beneath my feet. The shoes also slide a little.”

“You will get used to that as well.”

They took a few more strides together before Rapunzel continued. “Mom, do you know why father has packed so much into my schedule? The dance lesson, the bouquet arrangement lesson, the music class, the sewing work; after this, I have to go attend the planning session and I don’t know what afterwards. This is--” she broke off with a sigh, “--I’d rather be helping clean up the castle.”

Arianna hummed. “I know, sweetie, but all of these things are important for you to know for when the Griffin visits. The shoes, the dancing, a crash course on proper Pittfordian etiquette; it’s all important to impress him. We’re not sure how much you’ll be asked to help with as well, so the flowers and sewing are just in case we need you to help the maids before he arrives. It all has a purpose.”

“It just seems like it would be more beneficial to have the lessons last longer than fifteen minutes or half-an-hour.”

“Perhaps, but I get no say in the schedule. I only get to help you learn how to walk. Speaking of, let’s try the heels now. We’ll take it slow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to part two of this story, where I truly start diverging from season one’s plot. But, to be fair, the season one finale now needs to change, doesn’t it?


	11. A Home Falls into Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian and Cass chat as the Guards begin work on Varian's house. Rapunzel gets lessons on how to walk in heels.

A few hours later and all of the crates from the wagon were piled in front of the Steelfallow residence, Varian’s home. Some guards carried crates into the manor house. Varian and Cass were seated on the steps of the storehouse, asked to stay clear as the guards began to clean out the lab space. The outer wall of the lab had completely fallen apart, stones littered down the hill. The other two exterior walls of the lab leaned inward under the weight of the caved-in roof.

Varian watched nervously as they carried box after box out of the lab. Some guards carried the boxes further down the path and others scrambled to collect the wall stones that lay scattered on the hill.

“I wonder what is in the boxes they keep dumping,” Varian voices.

Cass cocked her head to face him, resting her arm on her leg. “Don't know. Could be stuff from the lab they want to keep track of or not want to risk breaking. Or it could be stuff they think is junk and are tossing it. I think it’s best to not think about it too hard right now.”

“But what if they are throwing my books away? My scrolls and blueprints?” Varian says, facing her, eyes wide and fearful.

“Varian, they’ve been under melting snow, they are probably all water damaged,” Cass said, waving her arm.

Varian's back snapped straight and he looked at her with a worried look in his eyes. "But what if they just need a chance to dry out and they are actually fine? How do the guards know if some of my tools are actually broken? Some of them are just shaped in a specific way for what they are used for.”

Cass held her hands between them. “Varian, it’s best to not think about it. You can always replace all of that stuff if needed, right?”

“I’d prefer not to if it could be helped." Varian slumped. "Paying for this stuff isn’t exactly easy, and with my dad... “ Varian shook his head. “Some of what I had is hard to come by and passed down from generation to generation. I think my mother wrote some of the books in my lab. I-I’m not sure if other copies were made.” Varian hugged his chest.

Cass let out a breath and stared out at the lab, trying to find the words. Biting her lip, Cass began, “I never had stuff like that, but I understand wanting to hold onto heirlooms, especially one-of-a-kind things like your mom's books. I'm sure if I had something from my parents, I'd keep it on me all the time, but if it was broken beyond repair," she shrugged, "there’s not much point to hold onto it past sentiment.” 

Varian cocked his head. “Wait, isn’t your dad the Captain of the Guards?” 

Cass rubbed her arm and she let out a breath from her nose. “He adopted me. I don’t know my birth parents. The captain found me abandoned in the woods. I think I was four when he found me.” She squared her jaw when she finished.

“Oh." Varian stared at her and reached gently for her shoulder. "Sorry, I didn't know.”

“It’s fine." Cass shook her head, but let him keep his hand on her shoulder. "Not many people know that and those that do, don’t talk about it. I think he wants to believe that I’m his natural child, so he has told or intimidated those to be hush about it."

Varian nodded. "Ah, okay. I-- That makes sense."

He ran his fingers down his palms and stretched his fingers, looking out down the hill. Cass raised her face to the sky and took a deep breath, hugging herself tight. A bird call echoed overhead.

Cass's eyes scanned the sky as she continued, her voice wavering. "I don’t remember much of my time with my mother, I just remember her leaving in the night and Michael finding me not that much later. I can’t even picture what her face looked like anymore.” Cass let out a soft laugh, her face in a frown.

Varian's face was wide with surprise. “Wow, so you always sort of knew he wasn’t your real dad then?” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Pretty much, but I love him as my real father." She looked at Varian again and shrugged lightly. "He was the one who raised me, after all. Hard to love those who don’t even remember. Especially when the only thing you do know of them is that they abandoned you.” She tensed her jaw again.

Varian let out a cough and rubbed his arm, still looking at the ground. “I guess that’s true. I-I only have that portrait of my mom to know her by, the only painting we have of her. I still feel something for her, maybe it’s love, but I don’t remember her. I only know that she died when I was young.” He brought his hand down and started tracing the spirals in the wood.

Cass watched him for a moment, hand hovering towards him. "I think death is at least a little different from abandonment," she said slowly, "Abandonment is a planned act; death, for the most part, isn’t planned." Cass shook her head slowly. "Sometimes it's slow-coming, but you don't choose when you die when you're ill." She reached out to Varian, her hand reaching his shoulder. He looked up at her. "It's okay to miss her, even if you don't know her."

Varian smiled at her. "Yeah, that's true." 

Cass sighed softly and brought her hand back to her lap. Varian relaxed and leaned forward, looking down the road and watching the guards work, following Stan as he struggled to carry a crate by himself. Varian huffed out a laugh after a squirrel ran by Stan and he jumped, dropping the box. 

"Hey," Varian said after a silent minute.

"What?" Cass said, turning to him again.

"Our dads aren’t too different when you think about it." Varian shrugged, looking up at her. "The Captain can be a little tough love, from what I've gathered, but I can tell he cares about you. Dad’s always been fiercely protective of me, despite his stoicism." 

Cass hummed. "Yeah, I can see the comparison."

Varian smiled before rubbing his neck. "I guess I'm partly to blame for how he can get sometimes though." Varian swallowed dryly and looked away from Cass. "I’m, uh, not well-liked in the village, but he’s tried his best to make sure no one attacks me over my mistakes."

"How do you mean?" Cass asked, reaching out to get him to face her. He jerked away from her, making her blink in shock.

Varian gave her a shy smile. "Sorry. Some years ago, the people of Old Corona would grab me and try to beat me and publically shame me, but my dad got them to stop that, saying that they can't treat me like that if they still want him to make requests to the king." Varian adjusted his goggles, tightening them around his head. He let Cass rest her hand on his shoulder as he shakily took in another breath. "But the verbal quips still get thrown about when he isn’t around. Some of it is about not being a ‘real Coronan’ because both of my parents aren’t Coronans by blood, others about my alchemical and mechanical failures, and, well, the rest are… more personal.”

Cass put her hand on his shoulder. “Why did they try to attack you?"

Varian grimaced. "Some of our bad seasons weren’t because of bad weather, let’s put it that way.” Varian stared out into the fields. 

Cass hummed. “Hmm, I follow the logic, but that still doesn’t give them the right to assault you over it.”

“Yeah, that’s where you and dad agree, but the others think I should be ‘punished for my actions,’" Varian said, making the quote motion with his fingers, "as if dad doesn’t do that when we're home alone. He just takes a... different approach, besides physical punishments.” He put his fingers to his lips and stared into the treeline, eyes focused on something.

“You don’t have to get into it right now,” Cass said, patting his shoulder. “No one here will scream at you for stuff like that and if some of the villagers return, I’ll make sure they’ll treat you right.”

“Thanks, Cassie,” Varian said, letting his shoulders relax under her hand.

Cass smiled at him and looked out at the manor. “Look,” Cass said, pointing towards Varian’s house. “Seems they might be wrapping up over there.” 

The guards ran into the lab with long pieces of timber and they slowly watched as the guards righted the wall into its proper position. Another wave of guards filed in with another brace and they heard the groaning of the other brace being installed.

Cass stood as the guards filed out of the lab. She waved at them as they walked into the road. “Is it safe to go into the lab now?”

“Yes, the walls should be steady now. Just be careful."

“Want to go check out what they did?”

Varian smiled up at her and nodded.

* * *

Rapunzel walked into the conference hall with a huff, feet wrapped in bandages.

“Ah, Rapunzel, perfect timing,” Frederick greeted, “How was the heels lesson?”

“It went well,” Rapunzel said, “Only cut open both of my heels and sprained an ankle when I tripped and fell,” she mumbled under her breath.

Frederick laughed, “Don’t be discouraged. You’ll learn in time. Now, to business.” He pointed at the map he had laid out on the table. “Captain, any word yet from Pittsford?”

“We sent some men to Pittsford to alert them of our current situation,” the Captain said, “We also included in the message that we would still be glad to host them if they would like to visit as planned. The messengers left only five hours ago, so we should have word back in two days.”

“Very well,” Frederick nodded. “How are the rebuilding efforts going?”

“The docks and north side are fairly cleaned up and the west side and market square, though still removing debris, are nearing a point where rebuilding could start sometime in the next few days. The Grand Bridge is being inspected today to see how long-term repairs should go. Southside is slowly getting debris out, but that delay is because I have the fewest number of men working there, many of them I transferred to bridgework. Castle reconstruction should start in the next few days, by the damage reports.”

“Good, so it is possible that the Griffin will visit a rebuilt Corona?”

“Uhm, possibly. He is arriving in two weeks, correct? We might have some of the buildings in the city rebuilt, or at least have installed walls by then. The castle, well, we’ll have to see how repairs go, sir.”

“Very well.” Frederick stood from his chair. “It will be your call how many guards should be stationed around town when the time comes. Rapunzel,” he said, facing her, “I want you to write up a welcome speech for him and assist with table arrangements, decorations, and favors.”

“Of course, right away.” Rapunzel nodded. “Can Eugene assist me?”

“Would you listen if I said no?” 

Rapunzel winced and Frederick laughed. “Yes, he may assist you. Let the maids know when you have decided on arrangements and decorations.”

* * *

Cass stands in the doorway as Varian hops into his lab on his crutches. His gait slows down as he slowly takes in the space.

The lab is stripped almost completely bare, appearing vastly empty with all of the alchemy equipment, books, and scrolls missing. The far wall had fallen to the ground, some of the larger stones left in the grass down the hill. A few stools were scattered about the room and one of Varian’s desks was shoved against the interior wall. A giant outcropping of black rocks takes up the entire back wall, or what was left of it, covering up the tunnel entrance. The floor caved in for some expanse, almost up to the amber. An old, tattered tarp was thrown over Quirin.

“It’s so empty.” Varian slowly hopped into the room. “My mother’s desk is gone. I didn’t see them carry it out. And the shelves she built and the alchemy sets, they’re gone too. The table dad built me. The books and maps.”

Varian sits down on one of the stools. He curls up onto himself and lets out a choked sob.

“I’ve lost everything.”


	12. No Vacancy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian and Cass walk through Old Corona.

Varian sits curled up on a stool in the remnants of his lab, head in his hands. Cass stepped towards him, silently and slowly, hand hovering in front of her.

“Varian, hey, some of your stuff was boxed up, remember? Do you want to see if we can dig through the boxes?”

Varian wiped at his face and nodded quietly. Cass helped him to his feet and guided him out of the lab. They walked into the road and Cass waved down the guards organizing the crates. “Stan, Liu, which crates are filled with his lab stuff?”

“Oh, we put those inside the house,” Stan said, waving at her as he ran over to her.

“But, we saw you carrying boxes over here?” Cass said, pointing behind Stan.

“Oh, these boxes were filled with debris from the wall. Mainly stones and wood. Feel free to dig through those if you want, but I’m pretty sure if some lab equipment got mixed up in there, it’s broken now.” Liu said, gesturing at the boxes.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll take your word on that,” Cass said. “Where in the house did you put his lab stuff? We can probably find it from there.” She gestured at the house with her thumb, arm wrapped around Varian.

Stan and Liu looked at each other, Stan’s face screwing up and Liu bit his lip.

“The thing with that is, we’re kind of using the house as our base of operations. We’ve moved some things and are setting up things we’ll need. It’ll be hard for Varian to navigate,” Stan said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You’re taking over my house and making it so I can’t even get to my room? Where am I supposed to sleep, then?” Varian growled.

“Can’t you at least clear a path to his room for him?” Cass asked, patting his shoulder.

Stan shifted uncomfortably. “Uh, well, the thing is, Varian’s bedroom actually has a really good vantage point of the road, so we have that room set up as a lookout point.”

Varian’s jaw dropped. “ _What_ ?” His voice jumped with an incredulous laugh, “What about the huge hole in the third story wall? You’re gonna tell me that _isn’t_ a good vantage point?”

“The roof is missing; what if it rains? It’s near the end of the dry season,” Stan says, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“It doesn’t rain this early in the season,” Varian spat. “And haven’t you ever heard of a tarp?”

Liu groans from behind Stan, rolling his eyes. “Boy genius has a point there, sadly.”

“Stan, come on, we’re only gonna be here for four weeks. You can’t let Varian have his room for that time?” Cass said, placing her hand on Stan’s shoulder.

Liu sighed. “Okay, sir, your reasons are feeble.” He faces Cass. “We weren’t supposed to say, but the King has ordered that until we find an object that belongs to Quirin, Varian is not allowed in the house.”

“Liu!” Stan said, affronted, putting his hand on his chest.

“What? What kind of stupid rule is that? It’s my house! I can help you find it!” Varian hops over to Liu, teeth bared.

“No, King’s orders. And besides, the King is pretty sure that Quirin hid certain things from you, so I doubt you know where this is,” Liu said, staring at Varian. He looks him up and down and a cruel smile spreads across his lips. “And with your broken leg, you’d only get in the way of the search. Slow us down.”

“It’s my house! I know of plenty of my father’s hiding spots!”

Rocks crunched through the soil around them, Cass stepping over to Varian and squeezing his shoulder. Stan back stepped from Liu. Liu held his ground as one grew up at him, the point getting near his face.

“But I doubt you know all of them. Sorry, King’s orders.” Liu crosses his arms across his chest, backstepping from Varian.

“He could help you at least narrow down where it could be,” Cass offered, rubbing Varian’s shoulders as his breaths came heavy with anger. “Please, it’ll just be easier on all of us if you just let us in the house, let Varian sleep in his own bed, and let us help you find whatever it is that you’re looking for.”

“I’m sorry, Cassandra, but, no, we cannot allow it,” Stan said, shaking his head sadly.

“The house is a base of operations; we’re going to also be planning out what to do with the village and figure out ways to treat the rocks,” Liu sneered, leaning down into Varian’s face. “You won’t be much help there.”

“I’m here to draw up blueprints of the houses, Liu, kinda here to help you with the village plans; and I’ve run quite a few tests on the rocks already,” Varian said, snarling.

“Have any of your tests worked?”

“No, but--”

Liu straightens his posture with a laugh. “Then you are of no use to this project. I’m sorry to usher you away from your own house, but please do find another place to lodge yourselves.” Liu waved them off, turning into the house.

"I can at least tell you what doesn't work! I can tell you what chemicals to avoid pouring on it unless you _want_ the skin on your face to peel off!" Varian said, chasing after Liu.

Cass grabbed him by the shoulders, halting him. She shook her head. “It’s not worth it.”

“I’m real sorry about this, but King’s orders,” Stan sighed, walking towards them. "We'll discuss you helping with the rock experiments tomorrow, your failed tests might prove helpful if nothing else. For now, I'll have to ask you to leave."

“Fine,” Varian said, ripping from Cass’s arms to begin the walk down the road. Cass shrugged and turned to follow him.

“Wait,” Stan said, catching Cass by the arm. “Know that if you need anything, I’ll help you two out.”

“Thanks, Stan, but I doubt he’d want it any time soon after this.” Cass walked over to where Varian stood waiting for her.

* * *

The sky has turned dark as Cass helps Varian hop down the well-trodden dirt path. They have made it to the heart of Old Corona Village, timber-framed houses lining the road. Cass walks out of a house shaking her head.

“Bedroom’s trashed. Let’s keep going.”

"This stinks," Varian grumbled. "It’s my house! I should be allowed into my own home!”

“We can’t argue against a King’s order, but I agree. Strange that the King approved of you coming if he wanted to dig through Quirin’s stuff and not want you interfering. You’d think he would’ve predicted the string of tension that caused.”

“Does he truly think they can find what they're looking for without me?” Varian says, turning to her, “I know quite a few secret doors and passages in that building. I know there are three in the kitchen, or four if you count the preserves cellar. There are twelve on the second floor, not counting the three I carved into my room. I know there are two in my dad's bedroom. I could help them, not that I want them to take something that's my dad's." He stopped his gait and stared at the road. 

"I know, but there's nothing else we can do.” Cass put her hand on his shoulder. “And if you don't want them finding it, maybe it's a good thing you're not helping them.”

“True. But I wonder what they’re looking for.”

“I guess we’ll know when they find it.” Cass shrugged. 

“I guess, but why not just ask my dad for it? Why steal it?” Varian said, staring up at her.

“I don’t know, the two have a history spanning way back. They chat like old friends and Quirin would give the King information or old scrolls he has when asked,” Cass said, shaking her head. “Maybe Quirin refused to give it to King Frederick?”

“Well, if he refused to give it to the king, then the king shouldn’t have it!” Varian put his finger to his lips, eyes turning hard. “He waited for my father’s health to be compromised so he could take it, ugh! I’m such an idiot!”

Cass put her hand on his shoulder. “Come on, we shouldn’t think like that. We don’t know the full situation. Let’s keep looking for a place to rest for the night, figure out what we can in the morning.” She turns to walk into another house. 

Varian tries to even his breathing, but remains wobbly on his crutches and shaking slightly as he waits for Cassandra to report to him.

Cass walks back to him with a sigh, “Do any of these homes have a bedroom on the first floor? I feel like I’ve checked fifteen houses already.”

“Seventeen, actually.” Varian yawns. “And I’m starting to think the same thing. Look, I’m ready to give in and have you carry me up the stairs if it means we can just stop for the night.”

Cass sighs. “Let’s just check the rest of this road before we resort to that. Besides, a lot of the roofs caved in. I’m not sure which houses still had an intact bedroom anymore.” She looks him up and down. “Are you sure you don’t want to use the wheelchair? I don’t mind carrying our things if that makes a difference.”

“No, no, let’s just keep going then.” Varian unsteadily launches himself forward, going almost too far and causing himself to stumble slightly.

“Varian.”

“I’m fine.”

They continue down the road, Varian unbalanced at each thrust, panting heavily, Cass looking over at him with concern. 

“You don’t have to push yourself, Varian.”

“I said. I’m. Fine.” He says between breaths.

“Varian.”

“I can keep going, so long as we find one in the next little bit.”

“Okay.”

Cass goes into the next house and searches the rooms, opening every door. She finds a very familiar layout; entering right into a family room, the room to the side is a dining room, the room in the back is a kitchen and the pantry resides next to it. Between the family, dining, and kitchen sits a large hearth. This house is slightly larger and provides a closed space to privately do laundry in the house, a large rope is tied from wall to wall, some clothes hang abandoned, and a wash bin with water still inside resides in the room. Cass walks towards the front hall and goes up the stairs, groaning when she discovers that the roof of this house caved in, taking the bedrooms in its wake. She goes downstairs and exits the house with a sigh.

She shakes her head. “No luck, the roof caved in here as well.”

“Fantastic,” Varian groans. “Okay, just three more houses, then I don’t care.”

“Okay.” Cass walks towards the next house. As she walks into the house, Varian shifts uncomfortably, and stares at the house across the street from them; in the backyard sits some outhouses, one of the few houses in the village that has this luxury. Varian groans as he feels the ache in his lower stomach. He shifts again and looks at the house Cass just went into.

She steps out of the house, shaking her head again. “Well, at least that had an intact upstairs. All else fails, we’ll take that house tonight.”

“Okay,” Varian said, then bites his lip. “Can we go to the house across the street real quick?”

“Sure, why?”

Varian whimpers and shifts again. “Outhouse,” he says quickly.

“Oh.” Cass snickers. “Why did you just stand here if you had to go? You didn’t need to wait for me to come back. Go ahead. I’ll check the house while you go do what you have to.”

Varian, blushing to his ears, hops into the yard while Cass walks into the house. Cass walks around the house and finds that the kitchen leads to a hallway. The room right off the kitchen is a washroom similar to the other house, this one slightly larger and housing a large washtub as well. The back room of the house is a bedroom, home to a large bed and the linen closet reveals enough blankets to properly elevate Varian’s leg. She smiles and walks to the back door. She watches Varian hop towards her.

“This house has a first-floor bedroom.”

“No kidding? Really?”

“So, is that why you were being stubborn about continuing down the road?” Cass said with a giggle.

Varian’s face went bright with color. “Sh-shut up.”

Cass opens the door wide for Varian, barely containing her laughter. Cass leads him into the bedroom then turns back into the hall. “You get ready as you see fit; the next room over is a washroom and the tub has water in it. I didn’t check the quality of the water, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll go get the wheelchair and our things.”

Cass walks towards the front of the house and Varian slowly hops into the washroom. The windows provide just enough glow in the room for Varian to find a candle. He lights it and goes over to the water basin. He looks at the water and grimaces, throwing in an alchemy ball and swirling the water around with his hand. He sits next to the tub and undresses. He removes his boot, then his apron. He hesitates slightly at his shirt, staring at the door, before quickly pulling it over his head. He quickly undoes the vest he wears around his chest and shoves his shirt back on. He hurriedly wraps the vest into his apron and tucks it against the washroom wall. He gets himself back up on his one good leg and stares at the water in the tub. 

Cass knocks on the door. "Varian?"

"Yeah, almost done."

"Okay, I'll be in the bedroom then. I'm putting our bags in there, too."

"Actually, can you bring me my bag?"

"Sure. Here you go." Cass opens the door and walks it over to him.

"Wow, no warning. What if I was naked?" Varian forces a laugh, arms crossing over his chest. He takes his bag and shoves his apron inside of it before handing it back to Cass.

"I live with the guards, Varian. I've seen plenty of naked bodies before. The guards don't care who walks in on them. With any activity. Walking in on guards getting changed is near the bottom of the list of disturbing things I've walked in on them doing at this point." Cass puts the bag on her shoulder.

"Oh. Well, I'd prefer a little privacy, if you wouldn’t mind."

"Gathered that by you wanting to use the outhouse instead of going against the side of a house.” Cass snorted. “I'll knock or wait for you to say something next time,” she said more gently, “You ready to get some sleep?"

"Sure," Varian says, getting onto his crutches.

They walk into the bedroom. Varian gets into the bed and Cass gets him some extra blankets to help raise his leg as he sleeps.

“Okay,” Cass says, “You look settled in. I’m going to go to the living room. The owners of this house sure had it good if they could afford an upholstered couch.”

“Yeah, the Joelle’s are an older couple who moved out here from the city, brought a lot of the finer things with them. Wanted a quieter life, they said. Good folks. Mr. Joelle taught the boys of the village basic reading and maths skills.”

“How nice of him.” Cass hummed. “Alright, well, good night, Varian.”

Varian stared at her. “Hey, wait, this bed is huge; why don’t we just share?”

“Varian, sharing a bed is…”

“Who is even here to spread that kind of rumor, Cass? Or what if I need help in the middle of the night or something?”

Cass sighed. “I guess you’re right.” She climbed into bed next to him. “But, I swear, if I hear even a notion of a rumor that we slept together, I will not hesitate to get you arrested for slander.”

Varian took in a deep breath, eyes going wide and face blanching. “Hey, I’m not some jerk. Why would I lie about that? I know how a lie like that can hurt someone.” Varian’s eye twitched and he rolled over on his side, looking away from Cass. “And even if we _did, you know,_ I'm not the kinda guy that would kiss-and-tell anyway, so, don’t worry about it. Believe me, if something like that starts going around, I won’t be the source.”

Cass looked at him in the low light of the room. He stayed in a tight ball on his side, a slight tremor in his arm. 

“Okay then.”

Cass climbs in next to him and Varian shifts to press up against her side, body relaxing. Cass huffs out a gentle laugh. She lays next to Varian, hearing his breathing slow down into the gentle rhythm of sleep. After a few moments, Cass rolls over and pets his hair.

“You tiny, frail boy.”


	13. Rough Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Two of Cass and Varian in Old Corona and Rapunzel under lockdown in the castle

Cass wakes up to the warm dawn sunlight coming in through the bedroom window. She looks down at Varian and laughs softly at him. Varian is slightly sprawled out and has his mouth hanging open, breathing gently in his sleep. Cass stands up and digs through the front pocket of his bag, getting out his pain killers.

As she heads for the door, Varian groans, nearly a whisper, “Cass.”

“Varian?” Cass asks, “Are you awake?”

Varian whines and shifts.

“If you're awake, I’m gonna make breakfast,” Cass says, staring at him. She quietly steps out of the room and walks into the kitchen. 

Cass digs through the pantry, groaning as she opens an empty cabinet after empty cabinet. She walked around the kitchen before she sat down against the wall with a huff. 

“I guess when they evacuated, they took all of their food with them.” Cass stares at the ceiling before she gets on her feet. “Well, time to see if any of the other houses have food, I suppose.”

She walked into the bedroom and found Varian still asleep in the bed, gently tossing and groaning. She bit her lip as she walked by the bedroom. Cass left through the back door and she quickly ran across the street.

_ I’ll be quick. _

Cass made her way over to the house across the street. In the light of early morning, she could see the damage to some of the roofs; the smashed tiles littering the remainder of the roof and the ground nearby, mixing with the shattered glass of the windows, the splintering planks caved into the upper story, the whispering whistle of the curtains caught in the breeze. 

"Morning, Cassandra," Stan called out, waving at her from down the road.

"Good morning," she nodded at him as he approached.

"So, me and the guys talked about it, and, if he's still willing, we would like Varian's input on the rock analysis, or at least know what he has already tried." Stan bowed low. "The survey we ran on some of them proved fruitless."

"I'll ask him if he's willing to trade notes," she huffed, "Now, I'd like to find something to make breakfast with before he wakes up."

Stan nodded at her. "Gotcha. I'm on rock duty today, so you can find me on the road we walked in on." He rubbed his neck with a sheepish smile. "And, Liu is on clean-up today, so you don't have to worry about any comments from him today."

Cass nodded. "He might be willing after I tell him that. Good morning." She waved at him as she walked over to the first house. 

She pushed her way through the house, the floor covered in debris and the sparse furniture overturned, and made her way to the kitchen, settled into the back of the house. 

* * *

Varian blinked awake, then shot up, looking around the room. 

“Where am I?” He looked around the room, studying the architecture. “Old Corona?” Varian’s eyes went wide. “Wait, yeah, this is the Joelle residence, now I remember.”

Varian slowly moved his elevated leg down towards the floor, feeling the wave of sensation race up to his hip. “I will never get used to that,” Varian hissed between his teeth.

As the sensation faded, he grabbed his crutches and hopped over to his bag. He quickly dressed, hooking the vest in place before tugging on a clean shirt, then hopped into the hallway.

“Cass?” Varian called.

“In the kitchen,” Cass said. 

The kitchen was warm with the smell of baking bread and jars of preserves were littered on the counter. 

“Morning, sleepyhead,” she greeted as he walked into the kitchen. “Had to go hunting for supplies in the other houses, so I'm still baking the bread. The guards are spread out today; some are working on cleaning up a fallen house, others are checking out the rock outcrop that blocked our carts. Stan also asked that we meet up with him later, to talk about the rocks.”

“Oh, okay," Varian hummed with a half-shrug. “Sounds like everyone is busy then.” He hopped over to the table and sat down with a slump.

“Yeah.” Cass studied him, lifting his chin. “You, uh, you feeling okay?” She presses her hand to his forehead. “You don’t feel warm.”

Varian shrugs. “Eh, I don’t know. Still tired, I guess.” Then he blinks up at her. “Wait, you left the house to get supplies and didn’t wake me?”

Cass bit her lip. “I wasn’t gone long! And you need the rest.”

“What if I woke up while you were out?” Varian snaps.

“I came right back, the first house I went into had a ton of stuff in it!” She gestured at the counter.

“So, you just assumed I’d still be asleep until you came back?”

Cass looked to the side. “I mean, you  _ were _ still asleep when I came back, so…”

Varian sighed. “Whatever. I’m done with this argument.” Varian rested his head on the table.

Cass looked at him, worry pinching her brow. “So, uh, is this about last night?”

“Last night?” Varian rolled his head to look at her.

“A lot happened yesterday, it seemed like it might’ve stirred up some bad memories for you, with some of what you told me.” She sat down in the other chair and glanced at him.

Varian stared at her, then barked out a sour laugh. “Which part in specific are you referencing?”

Cass blinked at him. “Mainly what you said before we went to sleep. About rumors.”

Varian sighed. “Oh. You want to know what they’ve spread about me, then?” He tucked his face into his arms.

“So you  _ were _ referring to yourself with that comment.”

“Yeah.” Varian sat up a little. “Well, you heard their little tale about me being a wizard, but that is the nicest wording I’ve ever heard it repeated in. Usually, I’m being called a ‘Saporian whore’ or some other jab like that.” Varian rolled his wrist in the air, eyes lidded in disdain.

Cass’s eyebrows pinched together. “What? Why specifically a whore? I get the whole thinking ‘alchemy is magic’ part and the link between Saporia and magic, but…”

Varian groaned. “It’s… a layered jab. My mother was Saporian and used to travel in caravans, or so I’m told. And the caravans tend to get their funding through putting on performances on the outskirts of towns that host them, mainly skewed for an  _ adult _ audience," Varian said, leaning to the side, hands pressed together. "So, everyone likes to call my mother a ‘tamed whore,’ or whatever, because she married my dad. I don’t know if she actually traveled or if they just  _ think _ she did, but it’s extended to me because I’m her kid.”

“Wow, I knew the general opinion on Saporians was low and getting lower, but that’s--" Cass shook her head-- "to blindly punish you like that for something that your mother  _ theoretically _ did is… intense."

Varian tucked his chin into his arm and stared out the window. “Yeah, well, can’t change that. They just see that I take after my mother; the science, the machines; it’s all Saporian crafts at its core. The negative feelings they felt towards her get directed at me because of that. I think they throw ‘whore’ in the mix just for the additional jab, or because they think that I…” Varian stopped, swallowing dryly, staring at the table.

“Think that you what?” Cass asked after a long pause.

Varian stared out the window. “Nevermind. It’s not important. What they say didn’t actually happen, they made it up.” Varian hugged himself. 

“Well, if it’s not true, why won’t you tell me what the rumor is?”

Varian looked at her, tears budding under his eyes. “Because it still affects my  _ family _ ! The DenHerder’s are good people, but Old Corona decided to vilify them all because I spent a few months with them. They spread this stupid rumor amongst themselves with no proof, just to make me an easier target and hurt my family!"

Cass placed her hand on his shoulder. “That’s… hideous."

Varian wiped at his face and shrugged. “My whole life has just been bad luck, I guess. I know that being part Saporian and practicing alchemy attracts some of it, but it’s always been like this."

Cass shifted her weight slightly, brows drawn. "Varian, hey…"

Varian looked over at her and then his eyes widened. “Oh, gods, the bread!” Varian said, sitting up suddenly and pointing at the oven.

“Oh, dammit all!” Cass said, running over to the aromatic oven. 

She pulled the bread out and looked it over. “Doesn’t look burned.” 

She dropped the loaf on the table in front of Varian and put out the oven’s fire.

Varian took off a chunk of bread and examined it. “Looks like it cooked all the way through too. Looks like I panicked for nothing.” He said with a laugh.

Cass snorted as she walked back over. “You panicking made me get the bread out when it was ready. If anything, your panic saved the bread. I would’ve left the bread in there for a while longer and would’ve burned it.” 

Varian snorted. 

“What, we got talking and I lost track of time! That’s an easy mistake to make!” she said in fake exasperation.

“Yeah, all right, sure,” Varian said, giggling.

Cass sat down at the table with a huff and ripped off a chunk of bread. “Just eat something. Here’s your painkillers." She passed him the bottle of pills.

Varian stared at the bottle, eyes wide. “Did you take that from my bag?”

“Yeah, I wanted them on the table so that I knew where they were.” Cass took a bite from the bread in her hand.

Varian’s voice was thin. “Oh, okay then.”

Cass studied him. “It’s not like I snooped in your bag or anything. I knew the bottle was in the front pouch. You hoarding pens, inkwells, and graphite doesn’t shock me.” She took another bite and smirked at him. “Besides, if you do have something mature tucked away in your bag, I'm not gonna judge. You’re grown enough to have that stuff.”

Varian’s face turned dark red and he sputtered, “What! No, no, no! You got the wrong idea!”

Cass laughed. “Hey, I’m just sayin if you do, it’s alright. I’ll give you your space.” She winks at him.

“Love of the gods, Cass,” Varian put his forehead to the table and wrapped his arms over his head.

Cass shook her head. “I’m just teasing you. Sit up and eat something so you can take your pill. We have to meet up with Stan and then get to surveying the village so you can start your blueprints.”

Stan and two other guards studied the black rocks blocking the main road, maneuvering through them with practiced balance as they tapped at them with picks or scrapes at them with knives. They each had a notepad tucked into their waistbands, random notes and scribbles on the exposed pages.

“Hey, Stan, got Varian for ya,” Cass called out to him as she pushed Varian down the road in his chair.

“Ah, excellent!” Stan said, straightening up and walking over to them. “Just the two I wanted to see. So,” he said, crouching down to face Varian, “what do you know about the rocks?”

“Well, first off, all you’re gonna do there is break your tools,” Varian said, pointing at the two guards who were still desperately trying to break a chip of black rock off. “The rocks are indestructible via force; all you’ll do is dull out our blades and picks.”

Stan hummed and nodded along, writing down the word ‘unbreakable’ into his pad.

“For my alchemical tests, I’d need access to my research notes, which you all shoved into my house, which you all have barred me from entering,” Varian said, a sour smile betraying his anger. 

“Oh, of course, but we can flip through your notebooks on our own,” Stan said, nodding at him, not catching the venom in Varian’s voice

“Great. Glad we had this talk.” Varian crossed his arms.

“Thanks, Stan, but I think he’d prefer if  _ he _ was the one to flip through his notebooks?” Cass said, leaning in on Stan.

“Oh, yes, yes, we can always drag the crates of lab items back into the lab later today?” Stan offered, a big, scared smile on his face. “I can allow you access to the lab; we’ve no need to lock you from the side building!”

“I can have my lab back?” Varian said, perking up.

“Of course, we doubt anything is hiding in the walls in there, so, why not?” Stan shrugged, a smile plastered on his face but had a wide-eyed stare directed at Cass.

Cass nodded to him with a soft smile. “Thank you, Stan.”

Stan nodded to her, relaxing. “I’d say by tomorrow morning we’ll have all of his lab equipment back in the lab.” He smiled at Varian. “Well, unless you can think of anything off the top of your head, I guess we’re moving on to excavation trials next.” Stan waved to them as he walked back over to the rocks.

* * *

Mid-morning went smoothly, Cass and Varian touring in and out of buildings, Cass pushing Varian in the wheelchair as he sketched out rough floor plans on a scroll. They finish the first street, the one they walked down the previous night before stopping, Cass rolling Varian to a nice grassy spot in the fields.

“Why are we out here?” Varian asks.

“Eh, figured we could eat lunch out here. The weather’s nice today,” Cass said, spreading out a blanket on the grass, placing a basket in the middle. “Sadly, it’s mainly leftovers from breakfast, but I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“Oh, okay, then.” Varian shrugged. “The sunlight is nice.” Cass helped him out of the chair and onto the blanket.

They ate in silence for a moment, both savoring the warm sun and cool breeze. The wheat and tall grass rustled and the leaves in the trees shook in the wind. Bird calls echoed in the trees.

“So,” Varian said, breaking the silence, “What was that about? At breakfast, I mean?”

“What about what?” Cass asks, around a bite of food.

“About the… you said something about giving me space? Because of mature things, I guess you thought I had?” Varian said, blushing.

“Oh!” Cass laughed, “I was just saying that stuff to tease you, I said as such!”

“I know, but…”

“Hey, hey, all right. You want privacy for other reasons then, I got it. I’m just trying to say that, you can be honest with me. You don’t need to be shy about that stuff; if you need a minute, I’ll give you a minute, is all I meant. You're a teen, things happen.”

Varian rubbed his arm. “Well, thanks, I guess, but--” his face pales-- “hey, hey, if this is about my crush and me asking to share a bed, I-- nothing happened, you  _ know _ nothing happened!”

Cass shrugs, “Err, you’re right, but you also said my name in your sleep. That’s why I didn’t wake you this morning. Figured you would need the, er, extra minute.” Cass flailed her hands in front of her.

Varian’s jaw drops, face blooming with color. “It wasn’t  _ that _ kind of dream!”

Cass threw up her hands. “And all I’m saying is, that if it  _ was _ , it’s okay! I know this whole thing can’t be easy for you, having me watch over you like this.”

Varian sighed. “Oh, this is all about… Cassie, I  _ do _ still like you, but you made it clear that you don’t like me back, so--” Varian shrugged, blush fading from his cheeks, “I don’t know, I’m just trying to be mature about all this. Keep it friends, as you said.”

“Thank you,” Cass said, rubbing her neck. “But my point stands,” She said, straightening and looking Varian in the eye. “I want you to be honest with me. You don’t need to hide or lie to me; if you need to take care of… _ anything _ , just let me know and I’ll give you space, if space is what you need.”

Varian let out a steadying breath. “Okay.” Varian grimaced and looked out at the trees. “Can we drop this now?”

Cass laughed, “Sure.”

They sit in awkward silence, listening to the guards yell to each other. Varian pulls out a notepad and starts doing some math, sketching out plans for the houses. Cass stares out into the destroyed fields, seeing the havoc the black rocks caused and the storm exacerbated.

“I wonder where the Dark kingdom is,” Cass says suddenly, turning to face Varian, “Rapunzel said that it dissolved years ago; do you think the land could’ve been swallowed up by another kingdom by now?”

“I don’t know,” Varian said, putting the pad down and looking up at the sky, “Back at the castle, I started to look at maps, and from what I can tell, it’s across the sea, on the same continent as Koto and Pittsford.” Varian shook his head. “They could have swallowed up the territory, but, depending on certain factors, there’d be no point in claiming it.” He looked over at her and bounced his shoulders.

“True,” Cass said, scratching her cheek, “and without people there, even if no other army has encroached in, the infrastructure won’t be sound and, unless a trade route cuts through the territory, the roads won’t be in good shape either.”

“And if the buildings are rotting, what could that mean for the Moondews?” Varian leaned back and stared at her.

“We don’t even know if they are connected.” Cass waved her hand in the air. “But either way, we should figure out how to get to the Dark Kingdom. Once we are there, we can search for the Moondews and continue from there.” Cass tapped her finger on the blanket. “What else did the maps tell you?”

Varian thought for a moment, rubbing his finger on his chin. “Not much, just that we did have established trade routes with them, which is why, I’m assuming, Dark Kingdom citizens evacuated here. I’d need to look at old trade logs or treaties or something to get a real sense for our relationship.” Varian shrugged. “My dad might’ve hailed from there, but he’s never told me a whole lot about it.”

Cass stared up at the sky and hummed. The breeze rustled her hair.

“When we get home, I’ll see if we have any documents of the kind in the castle,” Cass said, “But then there’s the question about the rocks. Could they be related to all of this?” she turned her head to face him.

“They are clearly connected to Rapunzel,” Varian said, pointing a finger at Cass. “They glow whenever she’s around them.” Varian took a deep breath and waved his hand. “And my father knew something about the rocks that he wasn’t telling me; He said I  _ wasn’t ready _ to know about the rocks.” Varian sighed, and let his arm go limp. “He wanted to talk to me before we got into a fight and the amber got him. I just wish I knew what; if it would be something that would be helpful to know now.”

Cass put her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know, but he wrote you that note for a reason. We can try to study it again soon, see if we can decipher more from it, but for now, let’s work with what we got.”

Varian nodded. “Yeah, okay.” Varian laid down on his back and threw his arms out over his head, grabbing at the grass. Cass lays down next to him and breathes deeply. 

Varian hummed, thinking. “What could be the reason they react to Rapunzel?”

“The plaque,” Cass said, turning her head to look at him. “The rocks started to grow on the cliffside where the Sundrop flower was found. She touched the rocks and her hair grew back, remember?”

“Okay, the cliff face is the connection to the Sundrop and the rocks. Maybe,” Varian shook his head, lost in thought, “Maybe the rocks are trying to find the Sundrop flower and are now spreading around Corona trying to find it?” He looked over at Cass and gestured lightly. “It reminds me of iron filings interacting with a magnet; they sense the magnetic field, but can’t figure out how to get to the magnet.”

Cass blinks at him. “Huh, maybe. But that puts the Castle as their target; The flower is kept in a vault there. And if it’s looking for Rapunzel and Eugene, well, they are there, too.”

“So, no matter what, the rocks are heading towards the castle and…” Varian pauses, bringing his hand to his face for a moment, “if the rocks are coming from somewhere, then they make a path to that place as well!” Varian says, sitting up and eyes shining.

“And with luck, hopefully, the rocks will lead us to the Moondews!” Cass said, getting up on her arm and fist-bumping the air. “Get two answers for the price of one journey!” 

They beamed at each other, a happy giggle erupting from Varian. Cass sat up straight and sighed, softening her smile as Varian glanced away from her with a cough and a spreading blush. 

“Well, no point in getting excited yet, we’re still here for four weeks and you are not going anywhere with that broken leg of yours,” Cass said with a sigh. “We need to be at our physical best when we set out.”

Varian rubbed at his nose. “Well, yeah, I wasn’t thinking of setting off  _ now. _ It’s more just now we have a plan for what comes next.”

Cass let out a short laugh. 

* * *

“Blondie, don’t you think you should take a break?” Eugene says, watching her tremble as she tried to help with the castle clean up after dinner.

“What, no, I'm fine,” Rapunzel said, dropping the load of sticks she had with a huff.

“Sunshine, you’ve been going since six this morning. It’s now almost eight o'clock at night.”

“It's eight o’clock already? Oh, I’m supposed to be getting ready for a bath.” Rapunzel looked at her hair, full of dust and splinters. “Ethel is not gonna like this,” she groaned.

“Let’s just get you to the bath now. We can dry your hair with your MegaDry then get you to bed for tomorrow,” he said, looking over her schedule for tomorrow. “You’re gonna want it.”

Rapunzel looked at the schedule and grimaced. “Oh, how fun. I get heels practice right before I learn a Pittsfordian dance.”

Eugene looked at her, concerned and shocked. “Hey, Rapunzel, I’ve never heard you complain like this before. Everything okay?”

Rapunzel sighed. “I know, I’m sorry. There’s just so much going on.” She stared around the destroyed room. “There’s so much work to do, so much I could help with, but I’m stuck with all of these duties, that normally I would be happy doing, but I feel like I could be helping with the clean up too, you know?”

Eugene kissed her forehead. “That’s my girl, always looking to help.” He lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. “Sunshine, I know you want to help with the reconstruction, but you also need to rest. You deserve to rest after everything you’ve been through.”

“I know,” Rapunzel mumbled, turning away from him. “I know, but some of these duties just feel, I don’t know, minuscule compared to everything else going on. I get needlework needing to get done, but flower arrangements? Holding a music class? Believe me, I know art can be healing, but it feels… I don’t know.”

Eugene walked over and gently squeezed her shoulders. “You are doing your people a necessary service by holding a music class and a flower arrangement tutorial. It’ll help everyone destress and refresh themselves before going back to work.” Eugene said, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Rapunzel smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, Eugene. Hearing you say that helps.”

“Of course.” He spun her around and leaned down to kiss her

“Oh, Princess, there you are,” Ethel said, making them pull apart. “Your bath is drawn and ready for you.”

“Oh, right, lead the way,” Rapunzel told her, following her down the hall.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to a brainchild that has grown much much longer than I first planned. This first chapter is mainly all set up, but it will get going soon!  
> I will try to post the next chapters on Mondays, noon EST!  
> If you want to reach me, my Tumblr is Sage-Nikolai and my twitter is @WillowBurnt!  
> I also collab with Superstardum on here, writing an Invader Zim fic, Bounty of Doom!


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